HIPAA Risk Assessment
Expert Guidance to Safeguard PHI and Ensure HIPAA Compliance
What is a HIPAA Risk Assessment?
- A legally required and essential blueprint for HIPAA compliance! (164.308 (a)(1)(ii)(A), Required)
- An organized process designed to identify potential weak spots, evaluate their risks, and threats to the security of the Protected Health Information (PHI) your organization holds.
A HIPAA Risk Assessment isn’t just a regulatory requirement; it’s the foundation of your organization’s data protection strategy.
Conducting a thorough HIPAA risk analysis helps protect PHI, your organization’s reputation, and your bottom line. Don’t wait for a breach to happen. Stop breaches before they happen. Proactively safeguard your entire organization, and gain total confidence with Total HIPAA’s thorough, professional risk assessment. Secure your organization today!
What does a Risk Assessment include?
A comprehensive HIPAA Risk Assessment is the foundation for your HIPAA compliance plan. It identifies weaknesses in your organization’s security procedures and systems based on the three key Safeguards of the HIPAA Security Rule:
Administrative Safeguards
Administrative measures include naming Privacy and Security Officers, establishing HIPAA Policies and Procedures, creating a breach response plan, managing employee training, maintaining Business Associate Agreements, HIPAA compliance forms, and implementing required Privacy Notices.
Physical Safeguards
These safeguards address physical access and protection, ensuring only authorized personnel can access sensitive locations, files, and devices that handle PHI.
Technical Safeguards
Technical measures encompass the technology and policies that protect electronic PHI (ePHI) and control access to it. This includes:
- Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Plans
- Secure website and application development
- Email encryption and electronic data storage
- Remote access security and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policies
- Password management and access control protocols
Our Proven Process: Six Steps to HIPAA Compliance
Total HIPAA follows a systematic approach to simplifying the Risk Assessment which involves six key steps and implementation guidance:
1. Define the Scope
Identify all PHI within your organization, external sources (like vendors), and potential human, natural, and environmental threats to information systems.
2. Identify Weaknesses
Document vulnerabilities, such as a lack of access controls or unpatched systems that could lead to data breaches.
3. Assess Current Security Measures
Evaluate existing safeguards against HIPAA Security Rule requirements by documenting existing safeguards and noting any improper configurations or usage.
4. Determine Likelihood and Impact of Risks
Review and evaluate ratings (e.g., high, medium, or low) of vulnerabilities.
5. Prioritize Risks
Implement a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) to streamline the HIPAA compliance process to efficiently address vulnerabilities.
6. Document Findings and Actions Taken
Maintain thorough records of the entire process, including identified risks, and actions taken.
By partnering with a HIPAA Security Risk Analysis Consultant like Total HIPAA, you gain peace of mind knowing your compliance plan is thorough and continuously improving.
Total HIPAA adheres to the highest standards for our Risk Assessment, including NIST 800-53, 800-171, and 800-66. Our commitment to our clients is to offer robust, industry-leading cybersecurity practices beyond the minimum HIPAA requirements, further enhancing your security posture and protecting your sensitive data.
When is a Risk Assessment Necessary?
Keeping your Risk Assessment current is vital to maintaining compliance and security readiness.
1. Annually (Minimum Requirement)
The HIPAA Security Rule requires Covered Entities and Business Associates to review, verify, and update their HIPAA Risk Assessment at least once every 12 months. This is a foundational and non-negotiable requirement.
An annual Assessment ensures your security measures keep pace with evolving threats and organizational changes.
2. In response to significant changes
Beyond the annual review, you should complete a new (or updated) HIPAA Security Risk Assessment whenever your operations or environment change in a way that could affect ePHI. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Implementing new technology: HR management and/or health record (EHR/EMR) software, CRM, internal website, patient portal, mobile app, or any new hardware or network component.
- Changing your physical environment: Moving to a new office, opening a new location, or reconfiguring your current space.
- Shifting operational procedures: Adopting new workflows, changing how the workforce handles ePHI, or making significant changes to staffing structure.
- After a security incident or breach: An immediate Risk Assessment is required to identify the cause of the vulnerability and to implement new safeguards to prevent future incidents.
3. When establishing compliance
For any new covered entity or business associate, a HIPAA Risk Assessment is the first step toward compliance. It provides the foundation for identifying your vulnerabilities and creating a plan to protect PHI from the start.
Why Choose Total HIPAA?
Understanding and fulfilling HIPAA requirements can be overwhelming and time-consuming. That’s why our HIPAA Risk Assessment Consultants make it simple. We tailor our risk assessment process to your organization’s size, systems, and security maturity.
Our team of experts will work with you to:
Conduct a Comprehensive Risk Assessment specific to your organization’s unique needs.
Develop a robust Risk Management Plan that addresses identified vulnerabilities.
Provide ongoing supportwith updates on regulatory changes, training resources , and expert guidance to help your organization stay compliant year after year.
With Total HIPAA, you’re not just meeting compliance standards; you’re building a culture of data security and trust.
Take the First Step Towards HIPAA Compliance
Don’t leave your organization vulnerable. A professional HIPAA Risk Assessment and a proactive Risk Management Plan are the foundation of your cybersecurity strategy and your organization’s long-term protection.
Let Total HIPAA help you safeguard your data and your peace of mind.
