As interest in personalized medicine continues to grow, healthcare providers and researchers will need to be mindful of genomic data privacy and security challenges, says federal adviser Dixie Baker.

Healthcare organizations need to assess and mitigate security risks for medical devices just as diligently as they do for other information technology, says Sharon Finney, data security leader at 44-hospital Adventist Health System.

Attacks aimed at mobile devices are progressing much more rapidly than any attacks ever waged against PCs. Organizations are in danger if they don't pay attention, says anti-phishing expert Dave Jevans.

The HIPAA Omnibus Rule streamlines the process of obtaining patients' permission for use of their information in medical research projects. Privacy attorney Adam Greene sorts through the details.

Healthcare organizations need to more closely monitor how staff members access patient information to minimize "insider threats" that could compromise privacy or lead to fraud, says security consultant Mac McMillan.

Consumer advocate Deven McGraw says many provisions in the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, including better breach notification guidance and expansion of HIPAA liability to business associates, will provide substantial benefits to patients.

Facing advanced cyber-attacks, organizations must shift their focus to detection and mitigation, says ISACA's Jeff Spivey, who outlines four capabilities necessary for effective response.

When it resumes, the HIPAA compliance audit program will be more focused in terms of what's evaluated but will encompass a broader range of organizations, says Verne Rinker of the HHS Office for Civil Rights.

Maintaining accurate logs of systems' activities is crucial in helping catch insiders who threaten an organization's digital assets, says George Silowash, co-author of the Common Sense Guide to Mitigating Insider Threats.