Ricoh 2020D Features Guide - Page 6

Ricoh Aficio Common Security Features Guide To help combat these problems, the federal government has enacted several pieces of legislation. These bills at once hold companies accountable for the records they keep, give businesses and individuals legal recourse in the event of damages, and also present significant security challenges to an already overburdened IT staff. They must proactively address security concerns that impact the applications, databases, and other business assets essential to daily operations while keeping up with regulations such as the HIPAA and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Acts that require firms to protect their confidential information. As a result, IT administrators, Chief Security Officers and business managers are forced to constantly re-examine their networks and business processes to make certain they are still in compliance. Government Legislation Impacts Security Compliance Security adds a new dimension to document workflows, especially those that involve intellectual property or deal with information that is regulated by new government standards. These pieces of legislation have forced companies to adopt practices that safeguard both business and personal information: ■ The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) is a law designed to protect workers from hiring discrimination based on pre-existing medical conditions. It means medical practitioners and healthcarerelated companies cannot release your information without your approval. ■ The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) is a law that allowed commercial and investment banks and insurance companies to consolidate. It includes a Financial Privacy Rule that demands companies protect personal customer information and inform you if and when that information is to be shared. ■ The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records, and requires written permission to release student information. As you can see the need to protect data is not just for personal or even business interests, it's the law. As you'll learn, the entire family of Ricoh office solutions is equipped with a mix of features and capabilities that assist in compliance with these government regulations. 3