Another healthcare provider has been given a costly reminder of the value of data security.
Publicly traded hospital operator Community Health Systems admitted in a Security and Exchanges Commission filing that names, Social Security numbers and addresses for 4.5 million patients were compromised by cyberattackers from April to June of this year.
According to statistics maintained by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, this ranks as the second largest theft of patient data ever.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) oversees protection of such personal data. There is no theoretical maximum fine for a HIPAA breach, though any individual violation is capped at $1.5 million.
This incident can serve as a reminder to all healthcare entities that data security cannot be overlooked. HIPAA compliance is a crucial issue for the entire industry. Liability for compliance extends beyond healthcare companies to all “business associates” of these entities who handle protected health information.
To view a list of CHS hospitals and clinics, visit this link.
If HIPAA compliance is among your company's concerns, discuss with our consultants how to protect yourself and your data.
LookBook Outlet Inc x hostway Sexy Black Dress - A Dress Designed to Dazzle
This hostway x Lookbook Outlet sexy black dress is in mini dress style with a cut out insert right at the side belly. It also features a deep v neckline that shows just enough cleavage to keep you the center of attention. The style of the dress is bodycon fit and that means it fits very snug and tight, allowing you to show off your natural curves. The material is stretch poly fabric and made from mostly polyester and very little elastane. The dress is machine washable if you follow directions specifically and never wrinkles. It is available in multiple sizes and has a low stock supply, so grab it before it’s too late!
Some features of this dress are:
Heavyweight firm-stretch denim
Zip back fastening
Exposed zip to reverse
80% Cotton" 20% Polyester
Self-tie rope belt
We've discussed several times on this blog the idea that webpage load time is becoming an indispensable quality of a good site, whether it be a desktop or mobile site component. The folks at WebpageFX, a full-service Internet marketing, web design, and web development agency, have put this message into a particularly compelling infographic, awash with statistics that bolster the idea that load times directly influence conversation rates and revenue figures.
See their graphic below, and for a look at the blog accompanying this image, follow this link. We're always looking to highlight insightful content such as this, so if you've got something for us, let us know!
Created by WebpageFX
TheBlaze.com, a news, information and entertainment website, came on board with Hostway in the Spring of 2012, using a hybrid solution of Hostway’s FlexCloud Servers and managed, bare-metal servers to provide flexibility and high availability. During TheBlaze's tenure, Hostway demonstrated its ability to handle the spikes of traffic that occurred after on-air mentions on nationally syndicated radio. When TheBlaze started looking for a new home for its e-commerce segment, it was natural for to leverage its existing Hostway relationship.
When TheBlaze decided to expand their relationship with Hostway, they knew they’d get their money’s worth in terms of both solution and service level. Additionally, in an effort to provide the best user experience for visitors to TheBlaze.com and The Marketplace by TheBlaze, Hostway introduced their partner Cynch to TheBlaze.
Read the full case study with Hostway, Cynch and TheBlaze here.
Hostway experience and Microsoft knowledge combine seamlessly with today’s technology to deliver a modern cloud platform for Hostway’s FlexCloud Servers offering. Transform your server environment into a highly elastic, scalable and reliable cloud infrastructure. As a Microsoft Partner for more than 15 years, Hostway’s FlexCloud Platform R2 draws on industry-leading technology to cloud-optimize your business.
Hostway's public cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering, FlexCloud Servers, has already accommodated thousands of customers worldwide. Now, FlexCloud Platform R2 upgrades the firewall, internal networking, SAN storage and virtualization technology as part of its redesign for optimal performance with Microsoft System Center and Windows Server 2012 R2.
Overall, the infrastructure upgrades will provide customers three key benefits:
"Since launching FlexCloud Servers more than three years ago, we've received a lot of customer feedback, and have incorporated that into our newest platform," said Jim Potter, Hostway’s Vice President of Product Management. "FlexCloud Platform R2 is designed for small- and medium-sized businesses that require maximum control over their IT lifecycle. We've made FlexCloud Servers more powerful and more accessible than ever before."
FlexCloud Platform R2 powered by Windows Server 2012 R2 offers an enterprise-class, simple and cost-effective solution. Application-focused and user-centric, FlexCloud Platform R2 delivers best-in-class performance for your Microsoft workloads.
Contact us now to discuss your needs and options, and get a free estimate today.
Editor's note: Below is an updated version of our blog post designed to address questions customers had after the email that accompanied this message. Added sections are italicized below.
With the recent report of 1.2 billion compromised username and password combinations, believed to be the largest ever hack of private Internet information, we'd like to take this opportunity to remind all of our customers of some password best practices. The following is intended to be an informative look at email best practices. We strive to enable our customers to be as secure as they possibly can in their Internet use.
It’s important to immediately change your password – not just for your Hostway account, but also for any accounts you use that involve personal or financial data. Your Hostway account password is no more vulnerable than any other password you use on any other site. We're simply alerting our customers to news that concerns all Internet users: The volume of passwords and accounts that are no longer secure creates a reasonable likelihood that one or more of your accounts – across all means of Internet-based services – is no longer secure, and that action should be taken to ensure the security of your personal and financial information. Make unique passwords for each of these sites, so that anyone gaining access to one of your accounts doesn’t easily gain access to more. The email account you use for password recovery is especially crucial to maintaining your digital security.
A strong password has the following characteristics:
With these tips, you'll be well on your way to a safer online existence.
While a range of avenues have cropped up in recent years that allow people to connect with one another in new ways, hosted email solutions are still considered the king of business communication. Hosted email is such a critical part of a company's contact infrastructure, yet many continue to downplay its role, or leverage a new system instead. While there are no doubt several different options when it comes to business communication, email is still oftentimes the best.
Demand Media's Kristie Lorette pointed out that there are specific situations where email is the ideal form of communication to deliver the needed abilities and benefits. On some occasions, text messages and free mail solutions just won't cut it; the user needs a reliable communication avenue that will ensure supported collaboration between the sender and receiver.
The best situations for email
When it comes time to send blanket messages to an entire staff, no other platform is better suited than email. Additionally, this form of communication can provide added advantages in this type of setting as well.
"Sending simple messages to an entire workforce with just the click of a mouse is fast, easy. convenient and can save the company money," Lorette wrote. "If saved, the email can function as proof of a message sent or received, and is easily accessible to remind the recipient of pertinent information."
Top benefits offered by hosted email: Instant communication
But the advantages of a hosted email system in a corporate setting don't end there. Demand Media's Kyra Sheahan also noted the reduced communication timeframe offered by email systems. The technology has all but eliminated fax as a means of sending documents due to the speed and ease with which such tasks can be carried out. Furthermore, in many cases, it is much more professional and reliable than other avenues, like SMS or free mail messages.
"In just a click of a button, businesses can send time-sensitive information to anyone in the world and the recipient gets the message almost instantaneously," Sheahan wrote. "This type of fast, effective exchange allows people to stay on top of projects, respond to communication requests with more efficiency and be more productive."
Mobile workforce accessibility
Hosted email is also the preferred communication platform in offices supporting remote workforce members. These are a unique breed of workers that need to remain in constant contact with their colleagues and have to reliably access mission-critical materials at all times no matter their location. What other system can provide these abilities like hosted email? With a hosted email solution in place, even the most distant staff members can remain in the loop with the rest of the company. And with a hosted email solution provider like Hostway on hand, administrators can be sure that the system is always on and always accessible.
Marketing potential
In addition to replacing aging technology, email has also taken the place of many by-mail advertising campaigns. Instead of creating a costly, physical ad to send out to individuals by snail mail, companies are now more often engaging in email ad campaigns. As users now have the option to receive nearly every message digitally, this is a smart move on the part of these businesses. Not only are email campaigns more cost-effective, but they also have the potential to reach a larger portion of the market.
It's no secret: An increasing number of customers are connecting with businesses via the web. Whether cruising a company's website, mobile application or social media page, modern browsing and buying habits have made web presence crucial to a brand's identity.
If you're among the holdouts to prioritizing your organization's web presence, the lack of effective online offerings will cost you important opportunities – namely, connecting with new customers and improving relationships with existing ones.
There are several steps a company can take to improve its web presence, and many are easier than you might think.
Optimize for mobile users
It's no longer just about having a sparkling website: If your enterprise lacks a matching offering for mobile users, optimized for their needs, you risk falling behind your competitors. More and more users are leveraging their handheld hardware to connect with businesses across industries; companies without a mobile-optimized platform risk repelling mobile visitors.
Inc. contributor Jeff Haden noted that some organizations create a similar version of their website just for mobile users. This approach has its benefits – including a consistent look and feel across different platforms – but a much better strategy is to create something completely new. Haden suggested building a mobile website with a unique design that will function across all platforms and reprioritize the placement of items of particular interest to browsers on the go. This technique is best for capturing the biggest portion of the mobile sector.
Focus on search engine optimization
In addition to mobile optimization, business leaders should also prioritize search engine optimization. As Demand Media's Gwen Wark pointed out, a website is only an effective part of a company's web presence if users are able to find it. With a search engine optimization strategy in place – available through a hosting provider or specialized outside firm – the organization's online offerings will appear higher in results from search engines like Google and Bing when customers input specific phrases.
Regularly update online content
Another important aspect of a brand's web presence is providing something new. Businesses that keep the same, stale content on their websites week after week and month after month are missing a number of opportunities to engage with customers. Additionally, Haden pointed out that frequently updated website content can not only help sell products, but can improve search results as well.
"Long gone are the days of static websites. Today's most effective websites frequently update content to give visitors a reason to come back," Haden wrote. "And quality is just as important as quantity, so make sure your company information is up-to-date and communicate relevant details about your business through regular blog posts or updates."
Ensure reliability
While these elements are no doubt key to a company's web presence, perhaps the most critical factor is reliability. Business leaders must ensure that once they build their website, their online offerings are always available to customers. If unplanned downtime occurs, consumers will likely turn to other sources for goods and services. For this reason, it is crucial to partner with a trusted hosting provider like Hostway, which can guarantee that services are always on, and the firm's website and connected web presence are always available.
Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is a programming language used by web developers that gives the user more control over the HTML that makes up a webpage. PHP works alongside HTML within the same document, allowing users to easily organize and display information within a browser and create vibrant sites. It has been the dominant server-side scripting language for websites for nearly 20 years, and still has significant staying power. According to recent stats from W3Techs, PHP is used by more than 80 percent of websites, easily outdistancing competitors such as ASP.net, Java and ColdFusion.
So what makes PHP so attractive to website developers? The following characteristics of PHP boost its usefulness:
One of the main disadvantages, however, is that PHP is not usually suitable for creating desktop applications. That's why it is essential to weigh the pros and cons of PHP in relation to a particular project before deciding whether to use it. Also, compared to other languages, PHP applications tend to run slowly. Finally, PHP error handling is traditionally considered poor when compared with competitors, mainly because of PHP’s development history and its support for older functions.
Do you use PHP for website development? Tell us your favorite benefit in the comments section below.
In mid-July, Hostway product manager Travis Nisbett, channel account manager Brian White and sales engineer Randy Jarzombek attended Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington D.C.
Our team enjoyed showing potential customers how Hostway’s products help connect the dots between Microsoft products to simplify the use of multiple platforms. We are looking forward to expanding our partner network – through tools such our new Cloud Connex reseller and partner platform, which you'll be hearing more about soon – and continuing to grow alongside our partners. We also spent a good bit of the show discussing our FlexCloud service running on Windows Server 2012 R2.
Travis Nisbett (left) and Brian White man the booth.
Our three $100 gift card winners:
Alex Arney from Eastridge
Markus Galler from RushFiles A/S
Matthew Able from Intele Peer