U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needed a security solution that could effectively protect more than 150,000 users across multiple departments and locations. These users access billions of sensitive data files and interact with the American public through various online communication methods. The challenge was to maintain a high level of productivity while ensuring that the systems and data remain free of malware. The department also needed to balance data security with user access. Doctors and researchers within HHS handle very sensitive health information daily, making collaboration with other researchers worldwide risky without the right security. The department also had to meet the requirements of the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and implement continuous monitoring of computer systems for security.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the government’s principal agency for protecting the health and providing essential human services for all Americans. It represents almost one quarter of all federal outlays and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined. The HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid programs provide healthcare insurance for one in four Americans. In fact, Medicare is the nation’s largest health insurer and it handles more than 1 billion claims each year. HHS includes the Office of the Secretary and 11 operating divisions, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. Eight are agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service; three are human services agencies. All told, they represent more than 300 programs and a wide spectrum of activities. This includes providing access to high-quality healthcare to millions of children, families, and seniors while exploring new frontiers of biomedical research.