An Explanation Of What A HIPAA Security Rule Audit Is
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which has been around since 1996. This Act has several Titles, (or sections), of which we are mainly interested in the second. Title II of HIPAA provides a standard for maintaining the security and privacy of all personally identifiable health care related information that is generated, received, or utilized by any organization legally classifiable as a Covered Entity. According to HIPAA and the Department of Health & Human Services, a Covered Entity implies just about any organization or individual which sends and receives health care related information electronically.
Title II of HIPAA contains five Rules regarding the administration of Covered Entities. A HIPAA Security Rule Audit from Ezentria is meant to audit your company against only one of these Rules – the Security Rule. The Security Rule defines a series of safeguards that must be present to ensure the security of all sensitive and vital health care related information, these include Physical Safeguards, Administrative Safeguards, and Technical Safeguards. Assessing your network security is just one of many part of this type of audit.
Being audited against the HIPAA Security Rule will mean that all three of these safeguards will be thoroughly examined, and any findings which indicate non-compliance with the standard will be communicated to you for correction.
The Many Benefits Of A HIPAA Security Rule Audit
The multifaceted and extremely thorough nature of this assessment is one of its greatest values. Not only will you be made aware of any ways or means in which your established expectations of information security safeguards are not being met, we will also be able to advise you of any new methods or procedures which might be added to your existing set-up in order to raise the standard your company sets for information security and consumer confidence to the highest level.
Another benefit of a HIPAA Security Rule Audit from Ezentria is that we will be able to tell you, in great detail, not only where the dangers to the security of your information are to be found, but also what you can do to mitigate or eliminate those gaps. It is an extremely valuable and thorough form of Information Security Assessment, and can be preceded by HIPAA Awareness Training upon request.
If you are unsure about whether or not your company needs a HIPAA Security Rule Audit, the first thing to do is to determine if one is required on account of regulatory compliance. If your company deals in the health care sector, or routinely sends and receives health care related information, then you are most likely a Covered Entity under HIPAA – which means that this audit will be mandated and required.
