Standards
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Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax
Developing a new Standard to support interoperable secure cloud fax
The current state of communication in many regulated industries depends heavily on facsimile solutions. This standard will enhance the existing security attributes of facsimile by adding cross-platform and cross-organizational identity assurance, standards-based exchange of metadata, and federated standards for security.
The industries which nonetheless make heavy use of facsimile communications are in need of a way to move into the modern interoperability frameworks without requiring them to make disruptive and transformative changes to existing workflows and infrastructure.
Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax will enable them to attain the benefits of these modern frameworks without requiring wholesale change in underlying workflows or impractical infrastructure upgrades by providing these enhancements as part of the transmission protocol rather than requiring the senders and recipients to make substantial changes on their own.
Find more information about the DS2023_06: Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Consensus Body on this page.
ANSI PINS Abstract
The Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax standard defines a proposed ANSI standard establishing the protocols and mechanisms to enable the exchange of documents via facsimile across multiple Cloud Fax platforms while providing for enhanced security, identity assurance, and non-repudiation among participants.
DS2023_06: Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax
Access current information about the Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Consensus Body
FAQs
Learn more about the Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Consensus Body below through our Frequently Asked Questions.
Forming a Consensus Body allows the formal standards development process to start. The number of cloud fax providers is growing, especially those who desire to exchange information interoperably and securely. The goal of this Consensus Body is to bring together industry stakeholders, including but not limited to Cloud Fax Providers, to develop a standard making fax more secure and interoperable for decreased clinician and care team burden, as well as better patient care.
The Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Consensus Body aims to produce a Standard that enhances the existing security attributes of fax by adding cross-platform and cross-organizational identity assurance, standards-based exchange of metadata, and federated standards for security.
Consensus Body participation requires application and is open to any interested party. Consensus Bodies are required by policy to maintain balance, so interested participants from a variety of sectors are encouraged to apply and participate.
DirectTrust is currently seeking members to participate from the following interest categories:
- Healthcare Sector
- Government Sector
- Payer Sector
- Consumer Sector
- Social Care Sector
- General Interest and Advocacy
- Information Technology Sector
- Interoperability and Systems Integration Sector
- Telecommunications Sector
DirectTrust is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards Development Organization, and our history is grounded in convening and collaborating for the public interest. Developments in artificial intelligence and large language models have created opportunities for unstructured data transmitted via fax to become structured, and possibly interoperable. There are still gaps related to security and identity verification. A group of interested parties gathered to see if there was interest in pursuing developing a standard to bridge these gaps, and there was unanimous agreement to pursue standards development. DirectTrust provides a neutral convening place with governance and policy guardrails to facilitate the creation of standards that serve the public interest and foster innovation and growth.
DirectTrust is interested in establishing trust in a connected world. Fax has remained prevalent in healthcare for a long time. Advancements in technology have already illustrated how unstructured data via fax can be converted to structured and interoperable data, such as in Fax to Direct. By taking this existing communication mechanism and enhancing security and identity assurance protocols, interoperable secure cloud fax could offer another interoperability avenue for trusted communication.
When a group of stakeholders has an agreed upon standard as a foundation, interoperable exchange is accelerated. DirectTrust Standards provides a forum for organizations of similar interest to contribute to standards development. After the process has concluded, hopefully participant organizations implement the standards to reap the benefits.
No Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Standard exists yet, but this Consensus Body aims to produce such a standard. The intent is that cloud fax providers could layer the standard on top of what they already provide to increase security and interoperability.
Standards development efforts take their own path. The Consensus Body drives the timeline and DirectTrust helps facilitate to their expectations and needs.
DirectTrust at this time is focused strictly on the standards development effort for Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax. The Consensus Body and stakeholders may drive future considerations for how other Standards or DirectTrust may play a supporting role.