Cybersecurity Best Practices for HIPAA & HITECH and More
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 a look below.
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.
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.