General practitioners are implementing electronic solutions to manage patient and practice information. Properly secured information and information systems are essential to the proper functioning of general practices.

Security Guideline (February 2005)

The GPCG has developed Security Guidelines for use in General Practice, including a simple Computer Security Check-list for implementation. These have replaced the previous Interim Guidelines.

The Guidelines provide information on ways to help protect against a variety of threats to information and information systems including unauthorised access to, loss, integrity and availability of data. It is intended to support the general practitioner's and the medical profession's reputation for high-integrity and high-quality dealings with patients and third parties.

Firewall Guideline (June 2005)

In conjunction with the Security Guidelines, the GPCG has produced a companion module looking at issues surrounding firewall security. See Media Release 5 July 2005  MR_firewall.pdf (36.47 KB).

Australian privacy legislation requires medical practices to undertake reasonable steps to protect confidential patient data. When a medical practice connects their computer systems to the Internet the GPCG recommends that the connection should be protected by a properly configured firewall.

The GPCG has developed the GPCG Computer Security – Firewall Guideline publication. This resource is aimed at enhancing awareness and empowering whoever is responsible for the computer network in your medical practice setting and will assist to:

• Make an informed choice regarding firewall products and/or services
• Install a firewall product best suited to your practice’s need
• Configure the firewall so that all Internet services desired will work without putting the practice network at unnecessary risk
• Maintaining effectiveness of the firewall.

The Firewalls publication is presented in two parts:

1. GPCG Computer Security – Firewall Guideline  Firewalls_summary.pdf (182.08 KB)

2. Medical Practice Network Security - Firewall Tutorial (742 kb pdf)  Firewalls_screen.pdf (741.78 KB)

The Firewall Guideline provides an introduction to: the Firewall Tutorial document; a Firewall Selection Chart to assist in selecting the type of firewall implementation for your practice; and a Checklist to assist in implementation, configuration and management policy for your Firewall.

The GPCG is proud of producing these high quality resources that will be invaluable for general practices, Divisions of General Practice and other associated medical practices in configuring robust systems that minimise the security risk to every practice and their practice data.