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DHS home | News | Weekly message archive | May 9, 2003 1. Keeping our information secure For decades we've followed federal and state laws to keep client and personal information confidential. We recently added new requirements to ensure the privacy of health-care information, under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).There's a related area that might be new to you: It's called information security. What it is. We're responsible for a wealth of information in DHS. We have information about people with HIV/AIDS, client financial facts, abuse allegations, benefit information, social security numbers, employment histories and so on. This information can be shared through our information systems. Each day, there are about 1,000 attempts to penetrate these systems, some accidental, some intentional. We need to protect our systems from unauthorized access. But information security isn't just about technology. It's about the things we do - or don't do - every day to protect information. That includes taking care with phone conversations, faxes, documents in copy machines or printers, files on our desks, data displayed on our computer monitors, or Web site content. We need to keep all of this information, and more, secure and available only to those who need it in order to do their jobs. What we're doing. Several DHS staff are assigned full time to this ongoing effort. With others throughout the department, they participate in various work teams to develop policies and procedures that will help you keep information secure. They're also developing tools for DHS managers, who will be responsible for training their staff. Those tools should be available sometime this fall. Things you can do now. You can take steps today to begin keeping the information you have secure. For example:
You can also contact Theresa Masse, DHS Information Security manager, (503) 945-5609 or by email at theresa.a.masse@state.or.us My goodness. Last week's message included a number of words from one paragraph oddly inserted where they didn't belong. The last time this occurred, I blamed gremlins. Apparently, they're at it again. Our information services staff tell me this happens periodically. They're going to continue to try to find a solution, working with the software's manufacturer. But there's no guarantee at this point that it won't happen again. So keep this in mind: If you read something in the message that appears garbled, it probably just means those email gremlins are busy. (On the other hand, if there's something I've said that just doesn't make sense, I guess we could also blame it on those gremlins!) Please know that you can always read the Director's message on the DHS Web site. From the home page, select "News," near the top of the screen, then choose the "Director's weekly message."
Making a difference. The teen pregnancy rate in Oregon has decreased every year since 1995. Teens are making good choices. But they don't do that in a vacuum. They need the help of caring and supportive adults. Local coalitions, with the support of the department's teen pregnancy prevention staff, are carrying out a comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention plan. There's a potential role for everyone in this effort. Even if you don't have children, you can make a difference. You can be a mentor, a good listener, a coalition member, or a supportive adult in your neighborhood. May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. Playing off the "birds and the bees" theme, our staff are using "Bee involved, bee aware and bee there" as this year's teen pregnancy prevention month theme. You can learn more about this effort — and what you can do — on the DHS Web site. "I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can do." — Helen Keller.  This message is intended for all Department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access. Oregon Department of Human Services Director's Office 500 Summer St. NE E15, Salem, OR 97301-1097 Phone: (503) 945-5944 Fax: (503) 378-2897 TTY: (503) 947-5330 |
