Scottsdale Healthcare

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With 4,500 to 5,000 email accounts, Scottsdale Healthcare needed spam and encryption technologies that were easy to implement, easy for users and simple to maintain. To get the job done, the organization selected Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions from Proofpoint. As a result, the volume of spam that reaches user mailboxes has plummeted. Calls from users requesting support are next to none and the IT department has peace of mind that internal staff emails stay within the organization's domain and sensitive outbound information is automatically encrypted. Previously, Scottsdale Health recognized the benefits of a SaaS solution but wanted be able to maintain control, flexibility, and security. The Proofpoint SaaS architecture was carefully crafted to accommodate those requirements.

BUSINESS SITUATION
Today, more than ever, organizations need an effective approach to detecting and eliminating all types of spam. Scottsdale Healthcare is also required to comply with stringent privacy mandates such as HIPAA/HITECH and other regulations. When the time came to evaluate spam and data security options, Scottsdale Healthcare was sold on Proofpoint's ability to offer both appliance and cloud-based protection solutions with Proofpoint Enterprise Protection, and it's easy to use, easy to manage spam features. After realizing a significant drop in spam, the organization turned its attention to data loss prevention to mitigate the risks associated with regulatory compliance, using Proofpoint's cloud-based privacy solution, Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy.

SOLUTION
Keeping spam at bay and ensuring that outgoing emails containing confidential information don't end up in the wrong mailbox was of paramount importance to Scottsdale Healthcare. But, the organization also needed a solution that wouldn't bog down IT administration or be so complex that users required constant attention from the help desk. Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy and Proofpoint Enterprise Protection solutions performed, without exception, on all fronts.

With highly-accurate detection using smart identifiers, managed dictionaries, and advanced machine learning techniques, Scottsdale Healthcare was confident that Proofpoint had the solutions they needed to protect against leaks of private and confidential information in email and web protocols. Proofpoint's customizable, pre-configured data protection policies also make it easier for Scottsdale Healthcare to comply with privacy and data protection regulations, including HIPAA/HITECH and other state privacy and encryption regulations.

"We purchased the Proofpoint outbound email solution and it's really cut down on potential compliance violations. There's a set core of rules that can be amended according to our needs. For our organization, if any information in the body of an email or an attachment contains a social security number, a credit card number, patient identifier, or other sensitive data, it will be captured and secured. These types of data are automatically encrypted, and then forwarded on, which helps us avoid sending out emails that contain sensitive information or patient privacy data to domains outside our organization," said Michael Gleason, director of Information Services, Scottsdale Healthcare.

On the recipient end, the process is also painless. Receivers are notified by email with a link to register at the Proofpoint site and view the message. If a user fails to encrypt an email containing sensitive information, the system defers to the preset rules. For example, the system can automatically encrypt the email, send it along and notify the sender of such, so in the future the sender is aware of and can abide by the encryption policies. When an anomaly occurs, all it takes is a quick modification or a rules addition and the problem is solved.

EFFICIENT IMPLEMENTATION
After listening to colleagues that had implemented other solutions and understanding all too well what could go wrong, Scottsdale Healthcare expected some glitches, but the Proofpoint SaaS implementation went off without a hitch. The Proofpoint technical team sat down with Scottsdale Healthcare's IT department and explained what was going to happen and how the system was set up. After a thorough information exchange, Scottsdale Healthcare took over system administration. Proofpoint also provided the IT department with educational information, screen shots and important how-to explanations that could be distributed to users in advance of the deployment. The system has proven to be easy to use, and there has been very little confusion on the part of the Scottsdale Healthcare staff.

Implementing the encryption technology from Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy took place over a three-month period. To avoid surprises, Scottsdale Healthcare's in-house IT department thoroughly tested the solution to ensure that it was working properly. "We could have had the system up and running relatively quickly using just the pre-canned rules, but we took a little bit more time to make sure that everything was working properly and that we had a chance to reach out to our vendor and user community to let them know what was coming and why," commented Gleason.

MEASURABLE BENEFITS
The benefits of Proofpoint's SaaS privacy and protection solutions to Scottsdale Healthcare have been numerous. The volume of calls or concerns from people regarding spam or unauthorized email has dropped dramatically. When there is a question or an errant email, Scottsdale Healthcare IT is able to pinpoint the problem and remediate it on the spot using Proofpoint's reporting and logging tools. And, by deploying a cloud-based, SaaS solution, the healthcare provider was able to reduce costs, while providing better service to hospital constituents.

"In terms of ease of administration and peace of mind, Proofpoint has made a big difference to Scottsdale Healthcare," said Gleason.

ABOUT SCOTTSDALE HEALTHCARE
Founded in 1962, Scottsdale Healthcare is a not-for-profit organization led by a volunteer board of directors comprised of leading local citizens, serving the Northeast metropolitan Phoenix area and beyond through its three hospitals, outpatient centers and related entities. It is the largest employer in the city of Scottsdale with 6,500 staff. More than 1,700 physicians are on its medical staff, and some 1,200 volunteers support the organization.