By Linda Hetcher, Vice President Professional Services, Concurrent Technologies

The Internet makes transmitting and retrieving information easier than ever. Dental offices can use the Internet to submit claims electronically, and find details about their patients’ dental benefits and claims history with a few clicks of a mouse.

But how secure is your patients’ protected health information as it travels over the Internet? This article explains how information is kept safe from unauthorized eyes and maintains compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA’s) privacy rules while using the Internet.

Technology is available today to not only protect patients’ private information, but also helps dental offices protect their own information. For example, this technology is used in secure online purchasing. Knowledge of this technology can help dental offices bolster patient trust by being able to explain how they protect patient information online. It also helps dental offices operate more efficiently, since they feel more confident using technology, and its time- and cost-saving solutions, to its fullest.

How Delta Dental protects information

Delta Dental registered its Web site through a certifying authority (CA). A CA is a third-party company that confirms the identity of a business and supports the secure transfer of data over the Internet. Delta Dental uses VeriSign, but there are other CAs as well. The popular auction site eBay uses Trust.e. However, all CAs operate similarly.

Just below the left navigation bar on Delta Dental’s home page (at www.deltadentalnj.com) is a yellow rectangular box that reads, “Web identity verified by VeriSign.” Clicking on this box displays a pop-up screen from VeriSign, which provides information about the identity of the Delta Dental Web site, including the URL or domain name of the site, company name, and dates of validity of the certificate. Certificates can be purchased for one- or two-year periods.

The pop-up screen also indicates that Delta Dental has an SSL (secure socket layer) certificate. The SSL certificate is an electronic file for Delta Dental’s Web server. It is an electronic credential that assures users that its transactions are done in a secure way.

A business’ SSL certificate is a bit like the passport a traveler presents to authorities. The SSL certificate and passport both validate identities.

What SSL certificates mean to Web site users

The SSL certificate ensures three things:
• Authentication. It says that the organization that owns the Web site is a legal entity and that it has the right to use the domain name. (In Delta Dental’s case, the domain name is www.deltadentalnj.com.) It ensures that Web site operators are who they say they are.
• Privacy. Data exchanged between the user and the site is encrypted, or made unreadable, until it arrives at its destination.
• Integrity. Information carried between the user’s desktop and a Web site such as Delta Dental’s can’t be tampered with. What is sent is what is received.

Secure areas of Web sites

Certain areas of some Web sites are secure. For example, Delta Dental’s Benefits Connection area is one such area. Only transactions that take place in secure areas of Web sites are truly private. While e-mail is not necessarily protected over the Internet, information sent to Delta Dental’s Customer Service Department using the Contact Customer Service Form through Benefits Connection (which resides in a secure area of the Web site) is secure.

How do you know if you’re in a secure area of a Web site?

Check the URL or site address. It will begin with https rather than http when in a secure area. In most cases, you must provide an ID and password to access applications and private data through a secure area.

When in a secure area, the right hand side of the bottom toolbar will have a lock icon. Clicking on the lock provides information about the SSL certificate.

SSLs certificates make secure Internet transactions possible

Internet users want to be assured that the Web sites they visit are legitimate, and that those sites take the proper steps to protect privacy. When you navigate the seemingly faceless ‘Net, SSLs provide third-party verification that you’re communicating with who you think you’re communicating with, and that any information exchanged will travel securely. SSLs are an important component to making Internet transactions secure.

Concurrent Technologies designs and develops custom Web-based interactive solutions for a diverse clientele ranging from Fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations. In the business for over 18 years, Concurrent Technologies is a total solution provider (TSP) offering a range of services from e-business strategy to complete technology outsourcing. For more information, visit them at www.concurrenttechnologies.com or call (800) 345-3895.