Cybersecurity Best Practices for HIPAA & HITECH Compliance
While HIPAA and HITECH provide the essential foundation, forward-looking organizations are going further with certifications.
Cybersecurity Best Practices for HIPAA & HITECH Compliance
Over the past few months, I’ve been preparing our cloud infrastructure for advanced security certifications. In healthcare technology, protecting patient data isn’t just a regulatory requirement — it’s a core element of patient trust.
While HIPAA and HITECH provide the essential foundation, forward-looking organizations are going further with certifications like HITRUST, SOC 2 Type 2, and ISO 27001 to demonstrate security maturity and build confidence with partners and patients alike.
Interested in a high-level roadmap? Take a look at the slides for an overview.
1. HIPAA & HITECH Compliance Essentials
- Encrypt all PHI at rest and in transit.
- Apply role-based access controls (RBAC) and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Maintain detailed audit logs and monitor for unauthorized access.
- Conduct regular risk assessments and document mitigation plans.
- Manage vendors effectively with Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
- Train all staff regularly on security awareness and data handling.
- Establish a tested incident response plan aligned with HITECH’s breach notification rules.
2. HITRUST Certification
The HITRUST CSF integrates HIPAA, HITECH, NIST, ISO, and SOC 2 into one comprehensive certifiable framework.
- Recognized across healthcare as the benchmark for mature security practices.
- Emphasizes control implementation and governance maturity (Policy → Process → Implemented → Measured → Managed).
3. SOC 2 Type 2
An independent attestation report focused on security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
- Demonstrates your security controls are designed and operate effectively over time.
- Particularly important when working with enterprise healthcare clients, insurers, or SaaS vendors.
4. ISO 27001
A globally recognized standard for establishing and continuously improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
- Promotes proactive risk identification and ongoing compliance improvement.
- Shows your organization takes information security seriously — and systematically.
Bottom Line:
HIPAA and HITECH form the regulatory core. HITRUST, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 demonstrate security maturity to partners, clients, and regulators. In a crowded digital health market, this can be a competitive advantage — not just a compliance checkbox.
Is your organization aiming for any of these certifications? Let's connect and share insights.