New CMS and ONC rules on patient health data are on the horizon. FHIR is driving key data functions. You want to stay compliant, serve your customers and have a long-term strategy for analyzing and leveraging data. Prolifics’ Quick FHIR solution expert Tim Henrion talks more about these challenges and solutions to help you now and in the future.
Prolifics, a global digital transformation leader, is pleased to announce that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Kirsten Craft, Global Head of Business Development & Marketing, to the prestigious “2020 Women of the Channel” list. In addition, CRN recognized Craft as one of its “2020 Power 40 Solution Providers,” an elite subgroup of the Women of the Channel list.
The leaders named to the Women of the Channel list represent technology vendors, distributors, solution providers and other IT organizations. Each is recognized for her significant contributions and unique role in the IT channel. The Women of the Channel Power 40 list highlights extraordinary women who exhibit thought leadership, channel expertise and innovative vision for driving channel growth.
Craft is responsible for promoting the Prolifics brand globally while developing new and innovative ways to provide value for Prolifics’ clients and partners. She has more than 20 years of experience in information technology in a wide range of leadership positions and has continually demonstrated expertise and ongoing dedication to the IT channel. In her seven years with Prolifics, Craft has been named to the Women of the Channel list five times.
Satya Bolli, Prolifics Chairman & Managing Director, said, “We’re proud as an organization that Kirsten is being recognized again. Our channel relationships are extremely important to us. She listens to the needs of our clients and partners and is committed to new business models and go-to-market strategies that expand and promote channel engagement that drives a higher level of value for clients.”
“I’m honored to be on the Women of the Channel and Power 40 Solution Providers lists,” said Craft. “It’s a reflection of the trust our manufacturers have in Prolifics. Technology changes and evolves rapidly. To stay on the leading edge and bring these innovations to our clients requires tight strategic and tactical channel relationships – which I’m happy to say we have across Prolifics.”
Find out more about Kirsten Craft and her achievements in her 2020 Woman of the Channel profile. CRN Magazine will feature the 2020 Women of the Channel list on June 8, 2020.
Prolifics is a global digital transformation leader with expertise in cloud, data and analytics, DevOps, digital business, and quality assurance across multiple industries. We provide consulting, engineering and managed services for all our practice areas at any point you need them – giving you fast, complete solution delivery experiences that you will find nowhere else. Whether it’s initial advising and strategy; design and implementation; or ongoing analysis and guidance, Prolifics will help you take charge of your digital future. Visit www.prolifics.com.
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was created to provide consumers in the state of California with additional rights and protections related to how businesses are permitted to use their personal information. This state statute was enacted in 2018 and put into effect in January 2020.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what the CCPA is and how the CCPA impacts businesses and consumers.
In the past few years, customers have expressed growing concerns about the fate of their personal data in the hands of businesses and corporations. The purpose of the CCPA is protect the data and privacy of consumers. The CCPA endows residents in the state of California with the following rights:
In the event that these rights are breached, the CCPA grants California residents the right to sue.
It is important to know what personal information is to have a good understanding of the implications of the CCPA. The CCPA defines personal information as the following: “Information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household.” (1798.140.o1).
The different categories of personal information under the CCPA are direct identifiers, unique identifiers, biometric data, geolocation data, internet activity, and sensitive information. Examples of direct identifiers include first and last name, social security numbers, and home address. Unique identifiers refer to data like account names, cookies, and IP addresses. Location history is the primary example of geolocation data. Internet activity refers to browsing history and search history. Biometric data encompass voice and face recordings. Finally, health data is an example of sensitive information.
Overall, any data that can be used to identify an individual or a household is considered personal information under the CCPA. Data that is anonymous or aggregated generally is not covered by the CCPA. In some cases, suppression of data may be necessary to prevent the Identification of specific individuals or households by inference or by combining multiple sources of anonymous or aggregated data.
Not all businesses must abide by the CCPA. There are certain requirements that a company must fulfill before being forced to comply with this state statue. The following companies are required to abide by the CCPA:
Notably, companies outside of the state of California are also expected to comply with the CCPA. After all, most of the businesses in the United States do business with consumers in California. Also, many other states have enacted similar legislation. Some examples of such states include Washington and New Jersey.
“No” is the short answer to the question “Are B2B businesses exempt from the CCPA?” However, in truth, the answer is a little more complicated than that. The CCPA is not entirely black and white when it comes to business-to-business (B2B) companies. According to the CCPA, all communications and transactions that occur during the process of a business providing or receiving a product/service are exempt from the CCPA. Therefore, it appears that B2B businesses are exempt from the CCPA in terms of emails and other forms of communication. This exemption is only in place until January 2021.
However, B2B companies must still comply with the CCPA when it comes to allowing individuals to say no to the sale of their personal information and making sure consumers who exercise their data privacy rights are not exempt.
Overall, while there are some short-term exemptions that B2B companies are currently enjoying, the CCPA does have major implications for B2B companies. It is in the best interest of B2B companies to take advantage of these short-term exemptions to make the transition to this new normal for data privacy laws a little less rocky.
One question that you may have is “What is the difference between the CCPA and the GDPR?” The GDPR, which stands for the General Data Protection Regulation, is a regulation pertaining to data privacy in the European Union as well as the European Economic Area. The GDPR also regulates the transfer of personal information in areas other than the EU and EEA.
The GDPR was enacted in May 2018 to standardize data privacy laws across all 28 countries in the EU. The GDPR requires businesses to protect the personal data associated with all transactions occurring in the EU. This includes US businesses conducting transactions in the EU.
The main difference between the GDPR and the CCPA is that the latter only protects the privacy and data of California residents. On the other hand, the GDPR is only applicable for transactions in the EU. Another key difference is that the primary focus of the CCPA is to regulate the sale of personal information. The main focus of the GDPR is to regulate data ownership and the rights to personal data deletion.
The CCPA requires that all residents of California must know what personal data is being collected and how this information is being used. However, the CCPA may mean that businesses may need to grant these new data privacy rights to all customers. The reason for this is that it is often difficult for a business to know for sure where a user is located. Therefore, for many businesses, it is in their best interest to blindly apply the CCPA rights to all customers due to the inability to distinguish between consumers from California and consumers from other states. Also, as noted above, many states are working to enact statues similar to the CCPA.
Businesses can face civil penalties of $2,500 per violation under the CCPA and up to $7,500 for all intentional violations. In general, a business will first receive notification of alleged noncompliance. If the business fails to rectify the violation within 30 days, the business will be considered in violation of the CCPA and may face civil penalties and civil actions for injunctions from the California attorney general. As mentioned above, California residents are able to sue businesses for violations as individuals or classes.
There are a number of steps that businesses should take to prepare for the CCPA. These steps include updating their website and ensuring personal data security. This section will outline how businesses can adequately prepare for the CCPA.
All businesses should update the privacy policy on their website to ensure the personal data they collect is clearly outlined. Not only should the privacy policy mention what personal data is collected, but it should also explain why it is stored and how it is processed and used. A section of your website should provide your consumers with clear instructions on how to make a request to access their personal data. You can provide a toll-free telephone number that consumers can call to make a right-to-access request. Provide a thorough explanation of how your business intends to validate the identity of individuals who make right-access requests.
Under the CCPA, the California Attorney General has the power to impose fines in the event of a breach of personal consumer information. However, these penalties are only applicable to businesses that did not take the right steps to protect personal data.
Be sure that all the personal information you collect from your consumers is encrypted. Redaction is another method that you can use to protect the personal information of your California consumers. Not only do you need to protect the data through encryption or redaction, but you may need to completely restructure the way you collect and store data to ensure that you have the ability to find personal information no matter where it is stored. The reason is that consumers can make right-to-access requests, which means you need to be able to find and provide this data in an efficient manner. As you can imagine, this can be a very time-consuming and difficult process.
In conclusion, the CCPA has the potential to have national and even global implications when it comes to data privacy for consumers. California was the first state in the county to enact legislation to protect consumer data and privacy. Many states are expected to follow suit in the next few years. For more information about what is the CCPA, don’t hesitate to contact us.
As a long-time IBM business partner, we’re thrilled to announce that IBM named Prolifics as a finalist in its 2020 Beacon Awards. Our “Blockchain-Supported Interoperability for Healthcare solution” –generated by our Innovation Center – is recognized in IBM’s Blockchain Trailblazer Award category.
“IBM is proud to recognize Business Partners who strive to enhance client experiences, drive business growth, and change the world…The IBM Beacon Award recognizes Business Partners worldwide who use IBM products and technology to create outstanding solutions and spark innovation,” states IBM on their site announcing this year’s award winners.
Recognizing that blockchain will be a highly sought-after technology, our Innovation Center drew on our healthcare expertise to create demonstration scenarios for the healthcare industry. Blockchain benefits for healthcare include a unified, secured view of data across disparate healthcare entities, provisioning of information necessary for patients to make informed decisions, and overall streamlined claims processing. In short, the outcomes of this solution lead to improved revenue cycle management along with enhanced patient relations.
The solution is currently being leveraged within the healthcare industry to build a blockchain network across multiple business units. This solution will deliver a variety of benefits to the involved organizations, including real-time transparency, customer-centricity, cost savings and business agility.
While the healthcare industry is our immediate focus for this innovative blockchain solution, it is directly applicable and viable across multiple industry segments.
To learn more about Prolifics, visit our website at prolifics.com.
We’re proud to share the news! Prolifics is an IBM 2020 Beacon Award finalist in two categories – “Outstanding Hybrid Cloud Solution” and “Blockchain-Supported Interoperability for Healthcare solution.”
“IBM is proud to recognize Business Partners who strive to enhance client experiences, drive business growth, and change the world…The IBM Beacon Award recognizes Business Partners worldwide who use IBM products and technology to create outstanding solutions and spark innovation,” states IBM on their site announcing this year’s award winners.
IBM, on the company’s website announcing this year’s award winners
The Prolifics UK Innovation Lab originally implemented the solution for a large British banking organ
Recent Open Banking initiatives in the UK and the EU’s PSD2 are changing how banks, their customers and third parties access, share and secure the customers’ financial information. These regulations reflect customers’ desires for digital access and self-serve functions for financial products and services, as well as ownership and portability of their digital financial accounts and transactions across providers.
Prolifics sees these initiatives, along with similar ones in the US, Middle East, Australia and Asia, as opportunities for financial organizations to reinvent themselves as more open, responsive, customer-centric and partner-friendly. Our Innovation Through Open Banking solution offers:
The solution provides a quick win and a quick path toward compliance with the new regulations. With the solution in place, the client can rapidly build a secured API marketplace, generating new products and services and adding new features to current offerings.
As similar initiatives arise elsewhere in Europe, the UK and around the world, this solution can be quickly adapted to meet those requirements. It is also a good fit for banking organizations seeking to innovate business practices in an open banking, API-centered model. But the base solution isn’t restricted to Banking – Prolifics has also extended the underlying IBM solution to provide capabilities for other industries such as Open Insurance and FHIR for Healthcare.
Prolifics Blockchain Solution is a product of our Innovation Center. Recognizing that blockchain will be a highly sought-after technology, the Innovation Center drew on our healthcare expertise to create demonstration scenarios for the healthcare industry. Blockchain benefits for healthcare include a unified, secured view of data across disparate healthcare entities, provisioning of information necessary for patients to make informed decisions, and overall streamlined claims processing. In short, the outcomes of this solution lead to improved revenue cycle management along with enhanced patient relations.
The solution is currently being leveraged within the healthcare industry to build a blockchain network across multiple business units. This solution will deliver a variety of benefits to the involved organizations, including real-time transparency, customer-centricity, cost savings and business agility.
While the healthcare industry is our immediate focus for this innovative blockchain solution, it is directly applicable and viable across multiple industry segments.
To learn more about Prolifics, visit our website at prolifics.com.
Meet Archie, the digital worker that will help you and your team process PPP loans faster and with better accuracy – so you can relieve some of the stress on your employees and make sure your customers stay satisfied.
Understanding data privacy laws is crucial for businesses and consumers alike. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are two landmark privacy regulations that give individuals control over their personal data. While both aim to protect privacy, they differ in scope, requirements, and enforcement.
The CCPA went into effect on January 1, 2020, granting California residents rights over the data businesses collect about them. In contrast, the GDPR, effective since May 2018, applies to all 27 European Union member states and governs how organizations handle personal data.
Though some call the CCPA the “California GDPR,” it differs in key areas such as legal framework, consent requirements, and the breadth of data protection.
Takeaway: GDPR has a broader, extraterritorial scope compared to CCPA.
Key Insight: GDPR emphasizes privacy by default, while CCPA focuses on transparency and consumer control.
Both laws grant important rights but differ in specifics:
| Right | CCPA | GDPR |
|---|---|---|
| Right of Access | ✅ | ✅ |
| Right to Be Informed | ✅ | ✅ |
| Data Portability | ✅ | ✅ |
| Right to Opt-Out | ✅ | Part of consent withdrawal |
| Prior Consent | ❌ | ✅ (exclusive to GDPR) |
Note: The key differentiator is prior consent, unique to GDPR.
Observation: CCPA’s definition is broader in some aspects but less strict than GDPR’s sensitive data categories.
Expert Note: GDPR enforcement includes audits and guidance, whereas CCPA enforcement is more reactive and limited in supervision.
Both laws improve privacy and data protection, but GDPR offers stronger, more comprehensive safeguards, while CCPA provides targeted rights for California residents.
Pro Tip: Aligning with GDPR standards often helps businesses remain compliant with CCPA, simplifying compliance efforts.
Data breaches are among the most pressing cybersecurity threats today, exposing sensitive information and putting billions of people at risk each year. Organizations across industries continue to face challenges in protecting data, making cybersecurity a top priority for enterprises.
In fact, reports have shown that billions of records can be exposed within short periods due to security gaps. This makes data privacy one of the most critical issues for both individuals and businesses. Understanding major data breach incidents helps highlight the scale of risk and the importance of adopting stronger cybersecurity practices.
Data breaches have been occurring for years, impacting financial data, personal information, and enterprise systems. Sensitive data such as customer records, login credentials, and business-critical information can be exposed when systems are compromised.
Beyond financial loss, organizations also face reputational damage and regulatory consequences. Implementing strong data security policies is essential to minimize these risks and maintain trust.
Billions of records have been affected by cybersecurity incidents over the past two decades. Below are some of the most widely reported breaches and their impact:
With the increasing reliance on digital platforms, protecting personal and enterprise data is critical. Organizations and individuals can reduce risk by adopting best practices such as:
These practices significantly reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access and data exposure.
Major data breaches demonstrate that no organization is immune to cybersecurity risks. As technology evolves, so do the methods used to exploit vulnerabilities.
By understanding past incidents and applying strong security measures, businesses can better protect sensitive data and reduce risk. A proactive approach to cybersecurity, combined with modern tools and governance, is essential for long-term resilience.
When Prolifics engineers first learned about HL7’s FHIR standards, in response to the healthcare industry’s challenge with FHIR interoperability and healthcare data interoperability, ideas began pouring into our Innovation Center. The result was our Quick FHIR solution that goes beyond simple FHIR API integration with your existing systems, adding a layer of security plus AI and FHIR and machine learning in healthcare data to help you better manage and analyze your information.
This infographic provides an at-a-glance description of the benefits of FHIR to your health organization. Be sure to click to see the large version.
FHIR for developers builds on, co-exists with, and leverages HL7’s earlier product lines (HL7 v2, HL7 v3, CDA) while using common web standards like RESTful services, XML, JSON, HTTP, and OAuth. Developers looking to explore FHIR healthcare standards may find themselves in familiar territory. They will also find the following appealing:
FHIR for patients makes health data accessible, giving individuals more control over their healthcare decisions. From diet and exercise to treatment and medication, more data means smarter consumers. Patient access to health data through FHIR:
FHIR for researchers has the potential to transform clinical research, epidemiology, and outcomes studies. Accessible EHR and patient-generated data can mean:
FHIR for physicians combined with FHIR EHR integration allows faster access to patient records and health data. With leveraging AI and machine learning with FHIR, the possibilities expand to:
FHIR for payers helps health insurers adapt to HHS regulations for CMS and ONC FHIR compliance. This allows them to:
We invite you to share this with colleagues and visit our FHIR information hub. If you want to learn more about FHIR adoption benefits for healthcare providers, or need FHIR solutions for health insurance payers that meet FHIR compliance with CMS interoperability rules, contact us at solutions@prolifics.com.
The state of California is now enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Starting July 1, businesses face fines of $2,500 per compliance violation, rising to $7,500 if negligence is involved. On top of that, Californians can sue if their personal information is compromised in a data breach—again, if due to company negligence. This makes implementing robust CCPA compliance solutions an urgent priority.
Under California Consumer Privacy Act requirements, Californians have the right to:
Achieving CCPA data privacy best practices—much like GDPR compliance before it—begins with understanding your customers’ personally identifiable information (PII). You must be able to answer:
This means data governance for CCPA compliance is inseparable from broader initiatives in data management and data security.
There are countless tools claiming to support California data privacy regulations. When evaluating any CCPA compliance assessment software, make sure to ask:
Some tools only scan file names, column headers, or samples. You need CCPA data scan tools that can deep scan structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data across servers, email systems, shared drives, cloud, and on-premises. Comprehensive CCPA unstructured data scanning ensures you uncover every hidden pocket of PII.
Look for solutions that use AI for CCPA compliance. Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) detect hidden data relationships and create rules that enhance CCPAdata classification and inventory accuracy over time. The benefits of AI/ML in CCPA data privacy solutions include continuous learning and improved data quality insights.
Expect a full inventory of data assets with reports on locations, quality, classifications, and sensitivities. This forms the basis for CCPA personal information protection decisions. A quality-first approach eliminates long debates over definitions by letting the system set rules up front.
High-quality solutions can complete deep scans in days rather than weeks. Speed matters when aiming to prepare for CCPA compliance efficiently.
Will the Solution Continue to Work for Me?
Compliance isn’t “one and done.” New data constantly flows into your organization. The best tools offer ongoing CCPA compliance monitoring tools to ensure you remain compliant long-term.
If you’re wondering how to prepare for CCPA compliance, our experts can help assess your readiness. We offer a CCPA compliance health check services package—an inventory and risk assessment that gives you a clear understanding of your exposure.
We also provide deep data scanning for CCPA compliance through our Data Hawk accelerator, a key technology in any data privacy project. Data Hawk delivers unmatched scanning and interrogation capabilities for both structured and unstructured data.
Whether you need to know questions to ask CCPA data scanning vendors or want to learn what is a CCPA compliance health check, our team has the answers. We ensure our recommendations align with California Consumer Privacy Act requirements and best practices for CCPA personal information protection.
Failing to meet CCPA data privacy best practices is costly—not only in fines but also in reputational damage. Investing in CCPA compliance solutions that integrate with your broader data governance for CCPA compliance strategy reduces legal risks and strengthens customer trust.
By embedding AI for CCPA compliance and scalable CCPA data scan tools into your infrastructure, you’ll be better positioned to adapt to evolving California data privacy regulations and other emerging laws.
Ready to protect your data and your reputation? Visit our expert hub for resources on how to protect personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act or email us at solutions@prolifics.com to get started.