Holographic Storage Technology:
capable of recording images in the same area utilizing light at different angles
recording and reading millions of bits in parallel
Grid Technologies: the combination of computer resources from multiple administrative domains to reach common goal
allows a failed PACS archive to seamlessly recover image data form the others
avoid the risks of data loss connected with a single point failure in a non distributed environment.
Administrators might believe they are protected since their PACS network is sitting behind a firewall. This is an incorrect assumption, because security threats should always be prevented from within as well as outside of the organization.
A hospital PACS system became infected when a hospital member of staff inadvertently loaded personal information without knowing that the source media contained a virus. It spread and infected the PACS servers.
Most organizations have a policy against connecting external computers or laptops to their network because an infected computer or laptop may introduce a virus into the network. Similarly, when a modality vendor connects an evaluation unit to a PACS network, it may introduce a virus into that network.
If infected, computer-based modality equipment could potentially become a base of operations to launch attacks against other computers and computer-based modalities in the network. These attacks can consume enormous network resources and bring the PACS network down, even if all of a facility's servers, workstations, and other computer-based modalities are well protected.
Because PACS are also integrated into the hospital network, it is possible that the infection will spread to the entire hospital system as well. Can a facility afford to have its PACS shut down?
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Once a system is compromised, it can be difficult to restore it back to its original self. The process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive.
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