It’s not just banks, hospitals, or government agencies bearing the brunt of increasing cyber-attacks anymore. Cyber threats are hitting closer and closer to home - and municipal health departments, which house the sensitive data of private citizens all around the United States, are starting to do something about it.
County health departments across America are taking a proactive stance in safeguarding Protected Health Information (PHI) and other sensitive data with Virtru. Let’s explore how these departments are leveraging advanced encryption to maintain control over their files, even after they've left the safety of their internal networks.
County health departments face a unique challenge: while internal file management systems like EHRs, OneDrive, and Google Drive provide some level of security, they fall short when files need to be shared externally. Health department staff regularly need to exchange sensitive information containing PHI, PII, and other protected data with schools, government agencies, healthcare providers, insurance businesses, and citizens.
The moment these files are sent, health departments lose control over them, creating a significant security risk. This loss of control extends to various external storage locations, including:
As a result, county health departments find themselves responsible for millions of files that are completely outside their visibility and control.
“[Virtru] provided the visibility and control of where our data travels, who has access, and for how long.”
- Chris Lewinski, IT Director, Sheboygan County, WI
To address this growing concern, many county health departments have turned to Virtru Email Encryption and Secure Share, a data protection solution that provides individual file encryption and policy controls. This innovative approach allows health departments to:
One of the key advantages of Virtru is its ease of implementation. Health department IT administrators, often juggling multiple responsibilities, can set up users within minutes with a plug-and-play capability. This quick deployment is crucial for departments that lack the bandwidth for lengthy rollout processes.
"Virtru seamlessly fits into our existing workflows without adding any burden for our less tech-savvy employees."
- Jesus Rodriguez, IT Application Developer, Hidalgo County, TX
By implementing Virtru's encryption solution, county health departments have achieved several key benefits:
"HIPAA and CJIS are serious stuff, bringing the risk of hefty fines. Now that the whole county uses Virtru, we’re confident we have the solution.”-
Richard Juliano, CTO, Columbia County, NY
Numerous county health departments across the United States have successfully implemented Virtru's solution, including:
County health departments deal with hurdles every day: budget, process, regulations– the list goes on. Data security shouldn’t be one of them, especially when so much is at stake.
As these local agencies lead the charge in securing sensitive information with Virtru, they're fostering trust, enabling more efficient collaboration, and giving health departments more time and space to focus on what matters most.
For counties still on the fence, the message is clear: embracing robust file protection isn't just a technical upgrade – it's a critical investment in public health and trust.
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