9/15/2023 0 Comments Hospital data backup policy laws![]() Medical records do not need to be retained in this way. The types of data that need to be retained include records related to the actions, activities, and assessments required by HIPAA. The most important administrative safeguard is the implementation of the HIPAA-required data retention period of six years. Tamperproof logging – Automated logging that cannot be modified needs to be in place to create reliable audit trails. ![]() ![]() User account control – User accounts and groups need to adhere to the principle of least privilege enabling only authorized users to access HIPAA data.Access controls – MSPs must enforce robust security measures to protect all hardware including workstations and mobile devices.Access to the data center must be limited to authorized individuals. Datacenter security – Data centers must be resilient and maintain a 24/7/365 manned security presence.Physically protecting HIPAA data is mandatory and includes the following physical safeguards. Backup monitoring – Monitoring with automated logging must be implemented to ensure backups are running successfully and alert support teams to issues that need to be resolved.Data restoration – The MSP or covered entity must have the capability to restore data to its original or a different location.Ideally, one set of data should be stored offsite for use in a disaster recovery exercise. Three copies provide the onsite production data, regular backups, and disaster recovery media. Data redundancy – There needs to be at least two copies and preferably three of all data in scope for HIPAA compliance.When creating backups over a network to a cloud provider, all traffic needs to be encrypted. Data transfers – All data transmitted over a public network needs to be encrypted to protect it from unauthorized access.This includes backups, which should be encrypted when they are created. Data encryption – All data stored on a HIPAA-compliant infrastructure needs to be encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption standard and accessed via a two-factor authentication mechanism.The following technical safeguards must be implemented for backups to be considered HIPAA-compliant. These encompass technical, physical, and administrative safeguards that need to be in place for an organization or MSP to be HIPAA compliant. These rules apply to individual companies and managed service providers (MSPs) contracted to furnish HIPAA-compliant systems and web hosting. They are a company’s data backup plan and the backup data’s retention period. In particular, two items need to be addressed. Specific requirements must be followed by a business to ensure its backups are compliant with HIPAA regulations. HIPAA-Compliant Onsite and Offsite Backup RequirementsĪ reliable backup process is recommended for any type of business but is a necessity for covered entities (CE) and business associates (BA) operating in the healthcare field. The existence of such a disaster recovery and business continuity plan is also part of the HIPAA requirements with which companies need to comply. The procedures to restore the computing environment from an unexpected outage are traditionally codified in a disaster recovery plan. Two important provisions in the HIPAA standards address the critical nature of creating onsite and offsite backups and enabling in-scope systems to be recovered in the event of a catastrophic failure. The financial penalties can be recurring if the non-compliant issues are not addressed and resolved. ![]() Fines are levied following a tiered structure based on the extent and severity of the punishable violation. HIPAA standards are concerned with how companies handle protected health information (PHI) and electronically protected health information (ePHI).įailure to comply with HIPAA guidelines can result in substantial financial penalties as well as harm to a business’s reputation that is hard to quantify and address. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was passed to protect sensitive patient health information from disclosure without the patient’s consent or knowledge. HIPAA compliance is mandatory for all companies working in the healthcare industry in the United States.
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