How To Meet Healthcare Cybersecurity Regulations

44 million health records were exposed or stolen in 2021. Hackers have shifted their focus to the healthcare industry. With this change, healthcare cybersecurity regulations have gotten more strict. Learn about healthcare compliance laws and how to meet them with this guide.

Key Points for Healthcare Data Security Standards

• The healthcare industry is becoming a popular target for cyberthreats.
• New healthcare compliance laws have been put in place to mitigate these threats.
• Partnering with an industry-specific cybersecurity provider can protect your company and ensure that you meet healthcare compliance laws.

Healthcare Is Under Attack

The average cost of a data breach in the healthcare industry is $9.23 million. However, data breaches impact more than healthcare providers. They impact the patients whose sensitive information gets leaked.

These ongoing threats to the healthcare industry have led to strict enforcement of healthcare compliance laws with new policies even being put into place. Keep reading to learn more about healthcare cybersecurity regulations.

Mandatory Healthcare Compliance Laws

These laws and regulations are put into place to protect sensitive health information that shouldn’t get leaked. Failing to comply with the following regulations can lead to fines or criminal prosecution. Here are the most critical healthcare compliance laws.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Originally signed into effect in 1996, HIPAA aims to protect patients’ sensitive health information. HIPAA compliance is mandatory for all healthcare organizations and their business associates. While HIPAA is specific to the United States, most countries have a similar equivalent.

HIPAA is made up of three rules:

The Privacy Rule

The Privacy Rule limits the disclosure of an individual’s health data. This information gets classified as protected health information (PHI), which is protected under HIPAA. This typically includes data secured on electronic information systems, which are vulnerable to cyberthreats.

The Security Rule

The Security Rule mandates that HIPAA-covered entities complete a risk assessment. A risk assessment is conducted by a compliance officer and is intended to find security risks within your company.

The Breach Notification Rule

The Breach Notification Rule demands that HIPAA-covered entities notify the right channels when they’ve had a breach of private health information.

Quality System Regulation (QSR)

Quality System Regulation is an FDA-led initiative to increase the cybersecurity of medical devices. This was partially created because of ransomware attacks that shut down medical facility networks. These attacks could cause medical devices like pacemakers, drug infusion pumps, or insulin pumps to stop functioning and harm patients.

QSR standards require medical device manufacturers to incorporate data encryption or authentication on their devices. While these standards mostly apply to medical device manufacturers, the FDA states that healthcare establishments share the responsibility. Penalties for QSR non-compliance include fines of up to $500,000 and criminal prosecution.

Non-Mandatory Healthcare Cybersecurity Regulations

The following healthcare cybersecurity regulations aren’t compulsory but are effective for future-proofing your cybersecurity. Follow these frameworks to show clients that you’re serious about your security:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework

The NIST framework is a voluntary set of guidelines that protects your business against cyberattacks. While NIST was originally developed as a mandatory framework for government entities, they’ve revised it to include non-government functions, like health and human services.

The latest NIST framework is free to adopt and has a huge variety of applications. NIST is designed to easily scale and integrate across industries, making it a great choice for any business. If you’re interested in adopting the NIST framework for your business, visit this resource.

HITRUST Common Security Framework

The HITRUST CSF is a security framework that increases security standards in the healthcare

industry. While not compulsory, HITRUST is an excellent tool that can guarantee your company passes the healthcare cybersecurity standards set by HIPAA.

HITRUST is a comprehensive, globally-certifiable security program. It covers 19 different sections specific to the healthcare industry, some of which include:

● Information Protection

● Mobile Device Security

● Network Protection

● Password Management

● Incident Management

● Education, Training, and Awareness

HITRUST is the industry’s compliance plan benchmark. Follow the HITRUST standards to show that your business is serious about cybersecurity.

Partner with a Cybersecurity Provider To Comply With Healthcare Data Security Requirements

The last thing you want is to face criminal prosecution because of sloppy security standards. The easiest way to ensure your business is in compliance with healthcare cybersecurity regulations is by partnering with a dedicated security provider.

Meriplex’s cybersecurity team has a wealth of experience in meeting healthcare cybersecurity regulations. We provide around-the-clock remote monitoring, so you know that your network is always secure. Choose Meriplex and keep your data secure.