Acronis Compliance Navigator
How does HIPAA relate to cybersecurity?
HIPAA establishes federal requirements governing the privacy and security of PHI held by covered entities and their business associates. The HIPAA Security Rule requires regulated entities to implement appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI.
Key HIPAA privacy, security, and breach notification requirements
Privacy rule
The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes standards governing the use and disclosure of PHI and provides individuals with certain rights regarding their PHI. Key concepts include permitted and restricted uses and disclosures of PHI, individual rights regarding PHI, requirements applicable to Covered Entities and Business Associates, and minimum necessary principles for the use and disclosure of PHI.
Security rule
The HIPAA Security Rule applies specifically to ePHI and requires regulated entities to implement appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect its confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Examples of these safeguards include risk analysis and risk management, access controls and authentication, encryption, audit logging and monitoring, security awareness and training, and backup and disaster recovery planning.
Breach notification
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule establishes requirements for notifying affected individuals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and, in certain circumstances, the media following a breach of unsecured PHI. Business Associates generally must notify the Covered Entity of qualifying breaches involving unsecured PHI so the Covered Entity can meet its notification obligations.
Enforcement
The HHS Office for Civil Rights investigates complaints and certain reported breaches and may take enforcement action for HIPAA violations, including requiring corrective measures or imposing civil monetary penalties where authorized.
Workforce training and awareness
HIPAA requires regulated entities to provide appropriate privacy training and security awareness training program for workforce members who create, receive, maintain, transmit, or otherwise handle PHI or ePHI. The content and frequency should reflect the organization's role, risks, policies, and applicable HIPAA requirements.
HIPAA enforcement and penalties
HIPAA violations may result in regulatory investigations, corrective action requirements, civil monetary penalties, and, in certain circumstances, criminal liability. Civil penalty amounts depend on the nature of the violation, the regulated entity's level of culpability, and whether the issue was timely corrected. Penalty amounts are adjusted periodically. For current information, consult guidance issued by the HHS Office for Civil Rights.
Where do organizations often fall short?
Many organizations struggle to meet HIPAA requirements because of gaps in their privacy, security, and operational practices, including:
- Failure to conduct risk analysis.
- Weak user access controls.
- Executing an appropriate BAA where required.
- Conducting risk assessments.
- Training workforce members.
- Protecting PHI and ePHI.
- Implementing the administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required for their environment.
How does Acronis help with HIPAA?
Acronis helps organizations meet core HIPAA requirements with natively integrated protection with compliance-enabling solutions.
Simplified data management
Protect patient data at all times with peace-of-mind encryption. Whether your data is stored locally or in the cloud, you can prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. Acronis helps your organization maintain data integrity and availability with features such as automated backups and one-click recovery.
HIPAA-compliant disaster recovery
Our solution includes secure data replication and failover features, empowering you to recover from disasters without ever compromising patient data.
Detailed auditing and reporting
With detailed logs and reports on data access, backup activities and security events, you can easily maintain a clear audit trail. These features provide the transparency and accountability needed to meet strict regulatory requirements.
Looking for help?
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a guarantee of HIPAA compliance. Compliance depends on the customer's role, services, deployment, configuration, data flows, and implementation of appropriate safeguards. Nothing on this page modifies or supersedes the agreements between Acronis and the customer.
Sorry, your browser is not supported.
It seems that our website is incompatible with your current browser's version. Don't worry, this is easily fixed!
To view our complete website, simply update your browser now or continue anyway.