A nurse is observing a newly licensed nurse; The client asks how information will be protected on the Internet. Which response demonstrates appropriate privacy protection?

• A. Security is provided by the hospital network.
• B. The hospital uses firewalls to protect records.
• C. Regulatory requirements allow sharing with other providers.
• D. Passwords alone are sufficient to protect data.

Answer: (B)

Protecting health information on the Internet relies on layered security, with boundary controls that actively block unauthorized access. A firewall acts as this boundary between the hospital’s internal network and the Internet, filtering traffic and preventing external threats from reaching records. This demonstrates a concrete, technical measure that directly reduces exposure of patient data online.

Other options miss the point: saying security is provided by the hospital network is vague and implies a single safeguard, when in reality protection lies in multiple layers. Regulatory rules govern what can be shared, but don’t describe how to protect data. Relying on passwords alone ignores encryption, authentication methods, and access controls that are essential to truly safeguarding information.