Nation's Largest Not-for-Profit Home Healthcare Organization Taps Websense to Provide Safe Access to Web 2.0 and Protect Patient Data

SAN DIEGO, CA, Nov 03, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- WBSN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- For Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), the largest not-for-profit home healthcare organization in the United States, safeguarding confidential patient data while allowing its thousands of in-home nurses who use wireless laptops to use the Internet is essential to business. Recognizing the growing business value of Web 2.0 sites that allow user-generated content as communication tools, VNSNY turned to Websense, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBSN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) for an integrated content-based security solution.

With 13,300 employees and more than 2,700 nurses, VNSNY cares for more than 30,000 patients daily throughout New York City and Westchester and Nassau counties. In 2008, VNSNY clinicians made close to 2.5 million home visits.

Using cutting-edge technology is a priority for VNSNY and each nurse carries a laptop to better communicate in the field, take notes during visits and access internal databases, health and medication records, and insurance information. VNSNY relies on the Websense(R) Web Security Gateway integrated with the enterprise data loss prevention solution Websense Data Security Suite, to protect essential patient information from Web-based threats and from accidental or malicious data loss.

"With thousands of nurses in the field at any given time with wireless Internet-enabled laptops, having secure access to patient data over the Web is a critical part of our organization and a reason why we are so successful," said Larry Whiteside, chief information security officer, VNSNY. "We rely on the Websense V10000 secure Web gateway appliance to enable our nurses to quickly get the information they need safely and securely. With the real-time scanning and the ability to create flexible policies around Internet use, I don't worry about our field nurses encountering a Web site that has been compromised with data-stealing malicious code or accidentally sending confidential patient data to the wrong place."

Recently, the VNSNY marketing department began exploring Facebook as a mechanism to engage a wider audience of individuals who have been a patient of, or are interested in the services provided by the VNSNY. The organization launched a presence on Facebook with a fan page that enables the social networking site visitors to receive information on events and communicate with other members of the fan page.

"Unmanaged use of Web 2.0 technology is risky, introducing potential threats and data loss, but we recognize that things like Facebook and Twitter are being used more and more by organizations like ours to communicate with patients and employees as well as recruit new employees," added Whiteside. "Websense was the only vendor that was able to give us the necessary integrated policy controls for both Web security and data loss prevention to securely enable our business. Using the integrated combination of Websense Web Security Gateway and Websense Data Security Suite enables the safe use of these Web 2.0 sites and applications because it scans content in real-time, ensuring that we don't get infected by an emerging Web threat. Additionally, if an employee or someone else tries to post company-confidential information to one of these sites, the data loss prevention solution will block it from being posted."

"Organizations are increasingly seeing business value in enabling access to Web 2.0 sites and applications. According to a recent survey of 1300 IT managers, 62 percent believe that Web 2.0 is necessary to their business, yet, the majority of these organizations admitted they lack the necessary security to protect from Web 2.0 threats," said Jim Haskin, CIO and senior vice president of marketing, Websense. "The Websense Web Security Gateway allows organizations to embrace Web 2.0 tools without fear of security risks and used in combination with our data loss prevention solution, customers like Visiting Nurse Service of New York can rest assured that their essential data is protected, while they take advantage of the latest technologies to enhance their organization."

All Websense solutions, including Websense Web Security Gateway and Websense Data Security Suite, are powered by the Websense ThreatSeeker(R) Network which continuously monitors the Internet for changes and emerging threats. The resulting intelligence is immediately incorporated into the company's Web, data and email security solutions. As a result, Websense solutions adapt to the rapidly changing Internet threat environment at speeds not possible by traditional security solutions.

About Websense, Inc.

Websense, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBSN), a global leader in integrated Web, data and email security solutions, provides Essential Information Protection(TM) for more than 40,000 customers. Distributed through its global network of channel partners, Websense software and hosted security solutions help organizations block malicious code, prevent the loss of confidential information and enforce Internet use and security policies. For more information, visit www.websense.com.

Copyright Copyright 2009 Websense, Inc. All rights reserved. Websense, the Websense Logo, ThreatSeeker and the YES! Logo are registered trademarks of Websense, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Websense has numerous other unregistered trademarks in the United States and internationally. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Thornton
Websense, Inc.
+1 (858) 320-9500
sthornton@websense.com

SOURCE: Websense, Inc.

mailto:sthornton@websense.com

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