HIPAA cybersecurity requirements center on three pillars: administrative safeguards, physical safeguards, and technical safeguards. These protect electronic protected health information (ePHI) through risk analysis, access controls, encryption, and workforce training. Covered entities and business associates must implement these safeguards to maintain confidentiality, integrity, and availability of health data.

That’s the framework. But frameworks don’t prevent breaches.

I’ve spent 20 years watching healthcare organizations misunderstand HIPAA compliance. They treat it like a checkbox exercise. They buy tools, sign policies, and assume they’re protected.

Then ransomware hits. Data leaks. The Office for Civil Rights comes knocking.

The painful truth: HIPAA Security Rule compliance isn’t about policies sitting in a drawer. It’s about understanding what electronic protected health information needs protection, conducting real risk analysis, and building security into daily operations. It’s about securing systems before attackers exploit them.

This guide cuts through the regulatory language. You’ll understand who must comply, what ePHI actually means, how the three safeguard types work together, and what you need to do starting today. No jargon, no overcomplicated frameworks. Just the practical steps healthcare organizations need.

What Is the HIPAA Security Rule?

The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national standards for protecting electronic protected health information. It applies specifically to ePHI, not paper records or verbal communications.

The Security Rule became effective in 2003. Since then, it’s remained largely unchanged despite massive shifts in healthcare technology, cloud computing, mobile devices, and cybersecurity threats.

That’s changing. The NPRM proposes mandatory MFA for all system access, whether remote or onsite, marking the first major technical requirement update in over two decades.

The rule requires covered entities to implement three types of safeguards: administrative, physical, and technical. These work together to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI.

Confidentiality means only authorized individuals access health information. Integrity ensures data remains accurate and unaltered. Availability guarantees authorized users can access information when needed.

Here’s what matters: the Security Rule is flexible. It doesn’t mandate specific technologies or solutions. Instead, it requires organizations to assess their risks and implement appropriate safeguards based on their size, complexity, and capabilities.

That flexibility is both a strength and a challenge. You have room to tailor security to your organization. But you also have responsibility for making informed decisions about protecting patient data.

Who Must Comply with HIPAA Cybersecurity Requirements?

Two groups must comply: covered entities and business associates. Understanding which category you fall into determines your specific obligations.

Covered Entities

Covered entities include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. If you’re a doctor’s office, hospital, pharmacy, or health insurance company, you’re a covered entity.

Healthcare providers only qualify as covered entities if they transmit health information electronically in connection with standard transactions. These include claims, benefit eligibility inquiries, referral authorizations, and other administrative functions.

Health plans provide or pay for medical care. This includes health insurance companies, HMOs, Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored health plans.

Healthcare clearinghouses process health information from nonstandard formats into standard formats, or vice versa. They act as intermediaries between providers and payers.

Business Associates

Business associates are individuals or entities that perform services for covered entities involving ePHI. This includes IT support companies, cloud storage providers, billing services, legal consultants, and many others.

If you handle ePHI on behalf of a covered entity, you’re likely a business associate. Your responsibilities under HIPAA compliance are substantial and enforceable.

Business associates must enter into business associate agreements (BAAs) with covered entities. These contracts specify how the business associate will safeguard ePHI and limit its use and disclosure.

Business associates can have their own business associates, called subcontractors. Each layer requires appropriate agreements and safeguards.

The chain of responsibility extends through every organization touching patient data. No one gets a pass because they’re “just the vendor.”

Understanding Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI)

Electronic protected health information is individually identifiable health information transmitted or maintained in electronic form. Understanding what qualifies as ePHI determines what you must protect.

ePHI includes medical records, billing information, insurance claims, lab results, prescription information, and any other health-related data stored electronically and linked to an individual.

The “individually identifiable” part matters. Information qualifies as ePHI if it relates to an individual’s physical or mental health, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare, and if it identifies the individual or could reasonably be used to identify them.

HIPAA identifies 18 types of identifiers that make health information individually identifiable. These include names, addresses, dates, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, and biometric identifiers.

Remove all 18 identifiers, and you have deidentified data that falls outside HIPAA’s scope. Keep even one identifier, and you’re handling ePHI with all its associated compliance requirements.

Electronic format includes data stored on computers, transmitted over networks, maintained on mobile devices, backed up to cloud services, or recorded on portable media. The format and storage location don’t change the protection requirements.

The Three Types of HIPAA Security Safeguards

The HIPAA Security Rule organizes requirements into three categories: administrative safeguards, physical safeguards, and technical safeguards. Each category addresses different aspects of protecting ePHI.

Think of them as layers. Administrative safeguards establish the foundation through policies and procedures. Physical safeguards protect the tangible elements where ePHI lives. Technical safeguards use technology to control access and protect data.

These layers work together. Strong technical safeguards can’t compensate for weak administrative policies. Excellent physical security fails without proper access controls.

Implementation Specifications

Within each safeguard category, the Security Rule defines implementation specifications as either required or addressable. This distinction confuses many organizations.

Required specifications must be implemented. No exceptions, no alternatives.

Addressable specifications require assessment. You must implement them if reasonable and appropriate. If not, you must document why and implement an equivalent alternative measure.

Addressable doesn’t mean optional. It means flexible implementation based on your organization’s specific circumstances, but you must address the security concern one way or another.

Each safeguard type builds protection against different threat vectors. Understanding how they interconnect helps you build defense in depth rather than checking boxes.

Administrative Safeguards: Policies and Procedures

Administrative safeguards are policies and procedures designed to manage the selection, development, implementation, and maintenance of security measures. They govern how your organization and workforce handle ePHI protection.

These safeguards form the foundation of HIPAA compliance. Technology and physical barriers fail without proper policies guiding their use and management.

Security Management Process

The security management process requires covered entities to implement policies and procedures to prevent, detect, contain, and correct security violations. This includes four implementation specifications.

Risk analysis identifies potential risks and vulnerabilities to ePHI. You must conduct a thorough assessment of how ePHI could be accessed, used, disclosed, or destroyed without authorization. For detailed guidance on this critical process, review our risk management framework for cybersecurity.

Risk management implements security measures to reduce risks and vulnerabilities to reasonable and appropriate levels. You can’t eliminate all risks, but you must manage them systematically.

Sanction policy ensures workforce members who violate security policies face appropriate sanctions. This isn’t about being punitive. It’s about accountability and deterrence.

Information system activity review requires regular examination of system logs, access reports, and security incident tracking. You must know what’s happening in your systems.

Workforce Security

Workforce security ensures all workforce members have appropriate access to ePHI and prevents unauthorized access. This applies to employees, volunteers, trainees, and anyone else under your direct control.

Authorization and supervision procedures verify workforce members have appropriate access authorization and supervise their activities. Not everyone needs access to everything.

Workforce clearance procedures ensure appropriate authorization before granting ePHI access. Screen and vet individuals before giving them system access.

Termination procedures remove access when workforce members leave or no longer need it. Departed employees shouldn’t retain credentials or access rights.

Our workforce security training guide provides actionable steps for building security awareness across your team.

Security Awareness and Training

Security awareness and training requires a security awareness program for all workforce members. Training isn’t optional or one-time.

Address protection from malicious software, log-in monitoring, password management, and security incident response procedures. Cover social engineering, phishing, and other attack vectors targeting healthcare organizations.

Training frequency depends on your risk assessment and workforce turnover. Annual training represents a minimum baseline. Many organizations benefit from quarterly security reminders and updates.

Contingency Planning

Contingency planning ensures ePHI availability during emergencies or disruptions. You need documented procedures for responding to disasters, system failures, or other interruptions.

Data backup plans ensure retrievable exact copies of ePHI. Regular backups mean the difference between quick recovery and catastrophic data loss.

Disaster recovery plans restore ePHI in emergencies. Test these plans regularly. Untested recovery procedures fail when you need them most.

Emergency mode operation plans enable continuation of critical business processes protecting ePHI while operating in emergency mode. Define what constitutes an emergency and how you’ll respond.

Physical Safeguards: Protecting Facilities and Equipment

Physical safeguards protect facilities, equipment, and other physical infrastructure where ePHI lives. These controls prevent unauthorized physical access, theft, and environmental hazards.

Think beyond locked doors. Physical safeguards address workstation security, device management, facility access, and media handling.

Facility Access Controls

Facility access controls limit physical access to electronic information systems and facilities housing them. Only authorized personnel should access areas containing ePHI systems.

Contingency operations establish procedures allowing facility access for restoring lost data under disaster recovery and emergency operations plans. Emergency access procedures must maintain security while enabling recovery.

Facility security plans safeguard facilities and equipment from unauthorized physical access, tampering, and theft. Document who can access server rooms, data centers, and areas housing ePHI systems.

Access control and validation procedures control and validate physical access to facilities based on role or function. Badge systems, visitor logs, and access audits all contribute to this specification.

Workstation Security

Workstation security implements physical safeguards for workstations accessing ePHI. This limits access to authorized users and protects against unauthorized physical access.

Position workstations to minimize viewing by unauthorized individuals. Screen privacy filters, appropriate monitor positioning, and secure areas all reduce visual eavesdropping risks.

Establish automatic logoff procedures for inactive workstations. Unlocked, unattended computers create easy entry points for unauthorized access.

Lock workstations in secure areas or use cable locks for mobile devices. Physical theft of devices containing ePHI represents a significant breach risk.

Device and Media Controls

Device and media controls govern receipt and removal of hardware and electronic media containing ePHI. This includes computers, mobile devices, portable storage, backup tapes, and any other media.

Disposal procedures address final disposition of ePHI and hardware or electronic media containing it. Proper disposal prevents data recovery from discarded equipment. Degaussing, physical destruction, and certified data wiping all have their place.

Media reuse procedures ensure appropriate removal of ePHI before reusing electronic media. Reformatting isn’t sufficient. Use secure wiping methods that make data recovery impossible.

Accountability measures maintain records of movements of hardware and electronic media containing ePHI. Track who has what, where it went, and when it moved.

Technical Safeguards: Technology-Based Security Controls

Technical safeguards use technology to protect ePHI and control access to it. These safeguards implement security at the system and network level.

Technical controls enforce the policies and procedures you establish through administrative safeguards. They’re the mechanisms that translate policy into practice.

Access Controls

Access controls ensure only authorized individuals access ePHI. This requires unique user identification, emergency access procedures, automatic logoff, and encryption where appropriate.

Unique user identification assigns a unique name or number for identifying and tracking user identity. Shared accounts violate this requirement and prevent accountability.

Emergency access procedures establish methods for obtaining necessary ePHI during emergencies. Balance security with clinical necessity, but document and audit emergency access carefully.

Automatic logoff terminates electronic sessions after predetermined inactivity periods. This prevents unauthorized access through unattended systems.

Encryption and decryption mechanisms protect ePHI transmitted or stored electronically. While technically addressable, encryption has become a de facto standard for protecting ePHI.

Audit Controls

Audit controls implement hardware, software, and procedural mechanisms recording and examining activity in systems containing ePHI. You must know who accessed what, when, and from where.

Log access attempts, both successful and failed. Track changes to ePHI. Monitor administrative activities that affect security configurations.

Retention periods for audit logs should align with your risk assessment and compliance requirements. Many organizations maintain logs for at least six years to match HIPAA’s general retention requirements. Learn more about effective audit practices in our cybersecurity audit guide.

Regular audit log review catches anomalies before they become breaches. Collecting logs without reviewing them provides no security value.

Integrity Controls

Integrity controls protect ePHI from improper alteration or destruction. You must implement policies and procedures ensuring ePHI hasn’t been improperly modified or destroyed.

Authentication mechanisms confirm that ePHI hasn’t been altered or destroyed in unauthorized ways. Digital signatures, checksums, and hash values all contribute to integrity verification.

Version controls, change logs, and data validation procedures help maintain ePHI integrity. Track modifications, maintain audit trails, and verify data accuracy.

Transmission Security

Transmission security protects ePHI during electronic transmission over networks. This includes internal networks and internet transmissions to external parties.

Integrity controls ensure electronically transmitted ePHI isn’t improperly modified without detection. Use secure protocols that detect transmission errors or tampering.

Encryption mechanisms prevent unauthorized access to ePHI transmitted over electronic networks. Transport Layer Security (TLS), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and other encryption methods protect data in transit.

Risk Analysis and Risk Management Requirements

Risk analysis forms the foundation of HIPAA Security Rule compliance. Without understanding your risks, you can’t implement appropriate safeguards or allocate security resources effectively.

Conducting Effective Risk Analysis

Start by identifying where ePHI exists in your organization. Map data flows from creation through storage, transmission, use, and destruction. You can’t protect what you don’t know you have.

Identify potential threats to ePHI. Consider natural disasters, system failures, human error, malicious insiders, external attackers, and business partner risks.

Assess vulnerabilities in your current security posture. Where could threats exploit weaknesses? What controls are missing or inadequate?

Determine likelihood and impact for each identified risk. Not all risks deserve equal attention or resources. Focus on high-likelihood, high-impact scenarios first.

Document everything. The risk analysis process and its findings require thorough documentation demonstrating your compliance efforts.

Implementing Risk Management

Risk analysis identifies problems. Risk management solves them.

Develop a risk management plan addressing identified vulnerabilities. Prioritize remediation based on risk levels and available resources.

Implement security measures reducing risks to reasonable and appropriate levels. “Reasonable and appropriate” depends on your organization’s size, complexity, technical infrastructure, hardware and software capabilities, and costs.

Track risk remediation progress. Assign responsibilities, set deadlines, and monitor implementation. Identified risks that remain unaddressed create liability.

Reassess risks regularly. New systems, changing workflows, emerging threats, and evolving business relationships all introduce new risks requiring assessment. Our comprehensive risk management guide provides a structured approach to this ongoing process.

Annual risk assessments represent a common baseline. Organizations with rapidly changing environments or significant security incidents should assess more frequently.

Encryption and Data Protection Standards

Encryption protects ePHI from unauthorized access both at rest and in transit. While technically an addressable specification under the Security Rule, encryption has become essential in today’s threat environment.

Encryption at rest protects ePHI stored on devices, servers, databases, and backup media. If someone steals an encrypted laptop, they can’t access the patient data without the decryption key.

Encryption in transit protects ePHI moving across networks. This includes email, file transfers, remote access sessions, and data transmitted to business associates or other external parties.

Implementing Encryption Effectively

Use strong, industry-standard encryption algorithms. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys represents current best practice for data at rest. TLS 1.2 or higher protects data in transit.

Manage encryption keys properly. Keys are the foundation of encryption security. Store them separately from encrypted data, rotate them regularly, and restrict access to authorized personnel only.

Don’t decrypt data unnecessarily. Minimize the time ePHI exists in unencrypted form. Process encrypted data when possible or decrypt only in secure, controlled environments.

Document encryption decisions. If you determine encryption is not reasonable and appropriate for specific ePHI, document your rationale and implement equivalent alternative measures.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires users to provide two or more verification factors to access systems. Something you know (password), something you have (security token), or something you are (biometric) combine to create stronger authentication than passwords alone.

MFA significantly reduces unauthorized access risks. Compromised passwords become insufficient for system access without the second factor.

For healthcare organizations looking to strengthen their security posture, implementing MFA addresses one of the most common vulnerability paths attackers exploit.

Security Incident Procedures and Breach Notification

Security incidents happen. Your response determines whether an incident becomes a minor disruption or a catastrophic breach.

The HIPAA Security Rule requires policies and procedures for responding to security incidents. This includes identifying, reporting, and mitigating security incidents affecting ePHI.

Understanding how to detect potential breaches is crucial for timely response. Our guide on early breach detection methods can help strengthen your incident response capabilities.

Defining Security Incidents

Security incidents include attempted or successful unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction of ePHI. They also include interference with system operations.

Not all incidents qualify as breaches requiring notification. A breach occurs when there’s unauthorized acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of ePHI that compromises its security or privacy.

The key distinction: did the incident create more than a low probability of ePHI compromise? If yes, it’s likely a reportable breach.

Incident Response Procedures

Establish clear incident identification and reporting procedures. Workforce members must know how to recognize potential incidents and whom to notify.

Designate a security incident response team with defined roles and responsibilities. Who investigates? Who makes notifications? Who handles containment and recovery?

Document incident response procedures. During an actual incident, you need clear playbooks, not improvisation under pressure.

Investigate incidents promptly and thoroughly. Determine what happened, what ePHI was affected, how the incident occurred, and what vulnerabilities allowed it.

Mitigate harmful effects quickly. Contain the incident, prevent additional compromise, and begin recovery operations.

Breach Notification Requirements

When a breach occurs, notification requirements depend on the number of individuals affected.

Notify affected individuals without unreasonable delay, no later than 60 days after discovering the breach. Notifications must include a description of the breach, types of information involved, steps individuals should take, what you’re doing to investigate and mitigate, and contact procedures.

Notify the Department of Health and Human Services. Breaches affecting 500 or more individuals require immediate notification. Smaller breaches can be reported annually.

Notify media outlets for breaches affecting more than 500 individuals in a specific geographic area. This requirement ensures public awareness of significant breaches.

Business Associate Agreements and Shared Responsibility

Business associate agreements (BAAs) form the legal foundation for ePHI sharing between covered entities and business associates. These contracts distribute HIPAA compliance responsibilities.

BAAs must specify permitted and required uses of ePHI. They outline how the business associate will safeguard the information and require reporting of security incidents and breaches.

Essential BAA Components

Every BAA must establish how the business associate will use ePHI. Generally, this limits use to performing services for the covered entity.

BAAs must require business associates to implement appropriate safeguards preventing improper use or disclosure of ePHI. The specific safeguards should align with the Security Rule’s requirements.

Include provisions requiring subcontractor BAAs. Business associates must ensure their subcontractors provide the same ePHI protections.

Define breach notification procedures. The business associate must report security incidents and breaches to the covered entity within specific timeframes.

Specify data return or destruction procedures upon contract termination. ePHI must be returned or destroyed when the business relationship ends.

Vendor Risk Management

A signed BAA doesn’t guarantee security. You remain responsible for selecting appropriate business associates and verifying their security practices.

Conduct due diligence before engaging business associates. Review their security programs, request compliance documentation, and assess their capability to safeguard ePHI.

Monitor business associate security practices throughout the relationship. Request audit reports, review incident notifications, and periodically reassess their security posture.

Terminate relationships with business associates that fail to meet security obligations. The BAA should include provisions allowing termination for security violations.

HIPAA Enforcement, Penalties, and Consequences

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces HIPAA Security Rule compliance. Understanding enforcement mechanisms and potential penalties motivates appropriate security investments.

OCR investigates complaints, conducts compliance reviews, and performs audits. They have broad authority to examine covered entity and business associate security practices.

Violation Categories and Penalties

HIPAA violations fall into tiers based on culpability levels. Penalties range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, with annual maximums reaching $1.5 million per violation type.

Unknowing violations carry lower penalties. Organizations that didn’t know and couldn’t reasonably have known about violations face minimum penalties.

Reasonable cause violations involve failure to meet HIPAA requirements despite reasonable effort. Penalties increase but remain lower than willful violations.

Willful neglect without correction carries the steepest penalties. Organizations aware of violations that fail to correct them face maximum fines and potential criminal charges.

Beyond Financial Penalties

Monetary fines represent only part of the consequences. Reputational damage affects patient trust, referral relationships, and competitive positioning.

Breaches require public notification. Your security failures become public knowledge, potentially reported in media and permanently recorded in OCR’s breach portal.

Corrective action plans impose ongoing oversight and remediation requirements. OCR may mandate specific security improvements, regular reporting, and extended monitoring periods.

Criminal penalties apply in cases involving wrongful ePHI disclosure. Individuals can face fines and imprisonment for knowingly obtaining or disclosing ePHI.

Practical Compliance Steps You Can Take Today

Understanding requirements means nothing without action. Start your HIPAA cybersecurity compliance journey with these immediate steps.

Start with risk analysis. You can’t protect what you don’t understand. Map where ePHI lives in your systems, identify who accesses it, and assess your current security controls.

Document your security policies. Write down how you protect ePHI. Address administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. Policies sitting only in your head don’t demonstrate compliance.

Implement access controls. Ensure each workforce member has unique user credentials. Eliminate shared accounts. Configure automatic logoff for inactive sessions. Implement multi-factor authentication for system access.

Encrypt ePHI. Enable full-disk encryption on all devices containing ePHI. Use encrypted email and secure file transfer for ePHI transmission. Encrypt backup media and portable storage devices.

Train your workforce. Schedule security awareness training for all employees, volunteers, and contractors with ePHI access. Cover password security, phishing recognition, physical security, and incident reporting procedures.

Review business associate relationships. Ensure all vendors with ePHI access have signed BAAs. Assess their security capabilities. Request compliance documentation.

Test your backups. Verify you can restore ePHI from backups. Test disaster recovery procedures. Document contingency planning processes.

Enable audit logging. Configure systems to track ePHI access, modifications, and administrative activities. Establish regular log review procedures.

Secure physical access. Lock server rooms and areas containing ePHI systems. Position workstations to prevent unauthorized viewing. Implement visitor management procedures.

Plan incident response. Document procedures for identifying, investigating, and responding to security incidents. Assign clear responsibilities. Establish breach notification processes.

For organizations just beginning their compliance journey, our comprehensive compliance navigation guide offers additional structure for building your security program.

Don’t try implementing everything simultaneously. Prioritize based on your risk analysis findings. Address highest-risk vulnerabilities first, then systematically improve security across all areas.

Compliance isn’t a destination. It’s an ongoing process of assessment, improvement, and adaptation to changing threats and technologies.

Building a Sustainable HIPAA Security Program

One-time compliance efforts fail. Healthcare organizations need sustainable security programs addressing HIPAA cybersecurity requirements continuously.

Establish accountability. Assign a security official responsible for developing and implementing security policies. This role requires authority, resources, and executive support.

Create a security committee. Include representatives from clinical, administrative, IT, and privacy functions. Diverse perspectives identify risks and solutions you’d miss working in isolation.

Schedule regular assessments. Annual risk analyses represent a minimum. Many organizations benefit from quarterly reviews addressing specific security domains or high-risk areas.

Monitor regulatory changes. HHS plans to finalize the new Security Rule in May 2026, with compliance dates potentially effective 60 days after publication, marking significant changes to HIPAA requirements. Stay informed about proposed rules, final regulations, and enforcement guidance.

Track security metrics. Measure what matters. Monitor incident rates, access violations, training completion, audit findings, and remediation timelines. Metrics reveal trends and progress.

Invest in security tools. Budget for security technology aligned with your risk assessment. Firewalls, intrusion detection, endpoint protection, encryption, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems all support technical safeguards.

Foster security culture. Security succeeds when everyone accepts responsibility for protecting patient information. Regular communication, positive reinforcement, and visible leadership commitment build this culture.

Learn from incidents. Every security incident provides lessons. Conduct post-incident reviews identifying root causes and opportunities for improvement. Share lessons across the organization.

Align with recognized frameworks. Aligning with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework supports HIPAA compliance while providing structure for your security program. These frameworks complement rather than replace HIPAA requirements.

Validate security effectiveness. Penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and security audits reveal gaps in your security posture. Regular validation prevents false confidence in inadequate controls. Healthcare organizations can strengthen their security assessments by following proven vulnerability management strategies.

The Reality of HIPAA Cybersecurity Compliance

HIPAA cybersecurity requirements exist for one reason: protecting patient information. The administrative safeguards, physical safeguards, and technical safeguards work together creating defense in depth.

Compliance isn’t optional. Covered entities and business associates face real penalties, reputational damage, and operational disruption when they fail to protect ePHI properly.

But compliance also isn’t about perfection. The Security Rule recognizes different organizations have different capabilities and risk profiles. Small practices and large hospital systems face the same requirements but implement them differently based on their specific circumstances.

What matters: conducting thorough risk analysis, implementing appropriate safeguards, documenting your decisions and processes, training your workforce, and continuously improving your security posture.

The threat environment won’t get easier. Ransomware attacks target healthcare organizations because patient data is valuable and healthcare providers can’t afford downtime. Phishing campaigns exploit human psychology. Insider threats remain persistent risks.

Your response determines your outcome. Organizations that treat HIPAA compliance as a checkbox exercise remain vulnerable. Those that build genuine security programs protecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI serve their patients, their workforce, and their mission.

Start with one step today. Conduct a gap assessment against the requirements covered here. Identify your highest-risk vulnerabilities. Implement one meaningful security improvement this week.

Then keep going. Security is a journey, not a destination. But every step forward reduces risk, strengthens compliance, and protects the patients trusting you with their most sensitive information.

Need help building your HIPAA security program? Specialized healthcare compliance guidance can accelerate your path to effective, sustainable security that protects patient data and meets regulatory requirements.