Question

A bench technician enters the server room and finds the backup server computer case open. The hard drives containing patient medical data are all physically disconnected from the motherboard and the SATA data cables are hanging outside the case. Which step should the technician immediately take?

Answer 1

The technician should first secure the server room, document the state of the server, and report the situation to their supervisor or the responsible data protection officer to handle any potential security incident according to data protection regulations.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a technician finds a backup server with its hard drives disconnected and the SATA data cables hanging outside the case, the first step should be to ensure the physical security of the equipment and patient data. Considering this is a health-related data scenario, it's crucial to adhere to data protection regulations such as HIPAA in the United States.

The technician should then document the current state of the server for any potential security incident reporting. Before reconnecting any equipment, the server room should be secured, and any unauthorised personnel should be prevented from entering. After ensuring physical security, the technician should report the situation to their supervisor or the responsible data protection officer immediately.

Once the incident is reported, further instructions should be awaited, which may involve an investigation to determine if a data breach occurred and the steps needed to safely restore the server's functionality while following organizational protocols for incident response.

Answer 2

The bench technician should immediately secure the server area, document the situation, report it to their supervisor and the organizational security officer, and follow the incident response protocol, especially since it involves sensitive medical data.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a bench technician finds the backup server computer case open with hard drives containing patient medical data physically disconnected, the technician should immediately secure the area to prevent any unauthorized access or further damage. The technician should document the scene for security purposes, report the incident to their supervisor and the organization's security officer, and follow the company's protocol for such an event, which may include contacting the IT department or security team.

If the server contains sensitive information such as medical data, this could potentially be a breach of data protection laws, and the technician should handle the situation with the urgency and confidentiality it demands. Immediate Steps to Secure the Backup Server: Secure the area to prevent unauthorized access. Document the state of the server and the environment. Report the incident to the appropriate authority within the organization. Follow the company's incident response protocol.