4  Information Security for T.O.V.A. Computers

The T.O.V.A. database may contain private or personal Protected Health Information (PHI). While the T.O.V.A. accomodates the need to protect PHI, the database itself is not secured or encrypted by the T.O.V.A. application. Instead, you can secure access to the T.O.V.A. database and backup folders within your OS (Windows or Mac OS)—just be sure that all authorized users of the T.O.V.A. have full permissions on the system to the database folder and its subfolders.

We also expect users will follow information security best practices on the host PC, among which are these:

• Use separate user and admin accounts.
• Use strong passwords.
• Lock the computer after a few minutes of inactivity.
• Control physical access to your T.O.V.A. PC.
• Keep T.O.V.A. software up-to-date.
• Back up your PC regularly and store your backups securely.
• If your T.O.V.A. system is online, keep your OS up-to-date. Use Internet security software to prevent malware infections.

The T.O.V.A. uses SSL to secure any communication with our servers that might contain personal information, and no PHI is collected without your consent. Any information on our servers is securely maintained.