BS ISO 17090-4:2020: Health Informatics - Public Key Infrastructure Digital Signatures for Healthcare Documents

In the rapidly evolving world of healthcare, the need for secure and reliable communication is more critical than ever. The BS ISO 17090-4:2020 standard is a pivotal document that addresses this need by providing guidelines for the use of digital signatures in healthcare documents. This standard is an essential tool for healthcare organizations aiming to enhance the security and integrity of their digital communications.

Overview of BS ISO 17090-4:2020

The BS ISO 17090-4:2020 is part of a series of standards that focus on health informatics and the implementation of public key infrastructure (PKI) to secure digital signatures. Released on October 12, 2020, this standard is designed to ensure that healthcare documents are authenticated and protected against unauthorized access and alterations.

Key Features

• Standard Number: BS ISO 17090-4:2020
• Pages: 36
• ISBN: 978 0 539 00620 9
• Status: Standard

Why Digital Signatures in Healthcare?

Digital signatures are a cornerstone of secure electronic communication. In the healthcare sector, they play a crucial role in ensuring that sensitive patient information is transmitted securely and remains confidential. The use of digital signatures helps in:

• Authenticating Documents: Ensures that the document is from a verified source.
• Maintaining Integrity: Protects the document from being altered after it has been signed.
• Non-repudiation: Provides proof of the origin and integrity of the document, preventing the sender from denying their involvement.

Benefits of Implementing BS ISO 17090-4:2020

Adopting the BS ISO 17090-4:2020 standard offers numerous benefits to healthcare organizations, including:

• Enhanced Security: By implementing PKI, organizations can ensure that their digital communications are secure and protected against cyber threats.
• Compliance: Aligns with international standards, helping organizations meet regulatory requirements and avoid potential legal issues.
• Improved Efficiency: Streamlines the process of document verification, reducing the time and resources needed for manual checks.
• Trust Building: Establishes trust with patients and partners by demonstrating a commitment to data security and privacy.

Who Should Use This Standard?

The BS ISO 17090-4:2020 standard is ideal for a wide range of stakeholders in the healthcare industry, including:

• Healthcare Providers: Hospitals, clinics, and private practices looking to secure patient data.
• IT Professionals: Those responsible for implementing and managing digital security systems within healthcare organizations.
• Regulatory Bodies: Organizations that oversee compliance with healthcare standards and regulations.
• Software Developers: Companies developing healthcare applications that require secure data transmission.

Conclusion

In an era where data breaches and cyber threats are increasingly common, the BS ISO 17090-4:2020 standard provides a robust framework for securing digital communications in the healthcare sector. By implementing this standard, organizations can protect sensitive information, comply with international regulations, and build trust with their stakeholders.

With its comprehensive guidelines and focus on security, the BS ISO 17090-4:2020 is an indispensable resource for any healthcare organization committed to safeguarding its digital communications.

BS ISO 17090-4:2020

This standard BS ISO 17090-4:2020 Health informatics. Public key infrastructure is classified in these ICS categories:

• 35.240.80 IT applications in health care technology

This document supports interchangeability of digital signatures and the prevention of incorrect or illegal digital signatures by providing minimum requirements and formats for generating and verifying digital signatures and related certificates.

This document describes the common technical, operational, and policy requirements that need to be addressed to enable digital certificates to be used in protecting the exchange of healthcare information within a single domain, between domains, and across jurisdictional boundaries. Its purpose is to create a platform for global interoperability. It specifically supports digital certificate enabled communication across borders but could also provide guidance for the national or regional deployment of digital certificates in healthcare.

It defines the provable compliance with a PKI policy necessary in the domain of healthcare. This document specifies a method of adopting long-term signature formats to ensure integrity and non-repudiation in long-term electronic preservation of healthcare information.

This document provides Healthcare specific PKI (HPKI) profiles of digital signature based on the ETSI Standard and the profile of the ISO/ETSI Standard specified in CAdES, XAdES, and PAdES.