HIPAA Compliance Checklist

by | Oct 3, 2024

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a US law that protects individuals’ health information. For covered entities like healthcare providers, health insurance companies and healthcare clearinghouses that handle sensitive health data (patient records, insurance info, personal health information) HIPAA compliance is not just a legal requirement but a way to keep user trust. HIPAA requires controls over how that data is stored, transmitted and accessed to prevent breaches and unauthorized disclosure.

HIPAA audits are necessary to ensure ongoing compliance. Audits will identify vulnerabilities in your website’s security infrastructure, from weak passwords to old encryption. By addressing these issues proactively you can protect patient data from cyber threats and avoid fines, legal repercussions and damage to your reputation. Regular HIPAA audits are a safety net to ensure your website is secure and compliant and protect the sensitive information you hold.

Why audit your website?

Auditing your website for HIPAA is necessary if you handle protected health information (PHI). The risks of non-compliance are high and can include large fines often in the millions and severe reputational damage. Not complying with HIPAA opens the door to potential breaches and erodes the trust of your clients or patients which can be almost impossible to rebuild.

But ensuring compliance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right tools and a checklist, an audit can be easy and manageable. By addressing areas like data encryption, secure file transfers and user authentication you can secure your website against vulnerabilities and be HIPAA compliant. Audits will not only help you avoid penalties but also show your commitment to protecting sensitive information so your website remains a trusted platform for users.

Before Your HIPAA Audit

Know the Requirements

To be HIPAA compliant for your website you need to know the requirements that fall under three main areas: security, privacy and breach notification.

Security: The HIPAA Security Rule requires any website that handles Protected Health Information (PHI) to implement technical safeguards to ensure data integrity, confidentiality and availability. This includes encrypting data in transit and at rest, using strong access controls like unique user IDs and two-factor authentication and regular security audits and updates.

Privacy: The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires all PHI to be protected from unauthorized access or disclosure. Websites must have privacy policies and procedures in place and only authorized individuals should have access to sensitive information. Business associates must also comply with privacy policies and procedures. This includes getting explicit patient consent before sharing any data.

Breach Notification: HIPAA’s breach notification rules require affected individuals to be notified within 60 days. The notification must include what happened, what information was exposed and what’s being done to mitigate the damage. Breaches involving more than 500 individuals must be reported to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Compliance with these requirements is key to protecting patient data and avoiding large fines.

Get Your Team Together

When auditing your website for HIPAA you need to gather a team of experts who can bring a broad perspective to the process. Business associates who provide services to covered entities must also be part of the audit process to ensure compliance. Start by getting IT professionals who know your website’s infrastructure. They will be responsible for evaluating security, identifying vulnerabilities and implementing updates or patches.

Next get legal advisors who are experts in healthcare regulations and HIPAA compliance. They will be key to interpreting the legal requirements and ensuring all data handling and storage is HIPAA compliant.

Finally get compliance officers who can oversee the entire audit process to ensure everything aligns with industry regulations and internal policies. This team approach will cover all bases and ensure your HIPAA audit is thorough and effective. By combining the expertise of these individuals you’ll be able to identify and address any compliance gaps and reduce the risk of costly breaches or penalties.

Technical Security Measures

Automated Updates

Keeping your WordPress core, themes and plugins up to date is key to your website’s security and functionality. Auto updates are important because they ensure your site is always protected against the latest vulnerabilities. Hackers exploit outdated software so if you’re not on top of it your site is an easy target. By enabling auto updates you reduce the risk of being compromised as security patches and bug fixes are applied as soon as they’re released.

However auto updates can sometimes cause compatibility issues or conflicts between plugins and themes. That’s where a professional WordPress maintenance service like ClikIT Care comes in. With ClikIT Care you get regular managed updates so everything on your site runs smoothly and securely. We handle all updates for you, do compatibility checks and resolve any issues that arise so you can have peace of mind your site is secure and functional at all times.

Defender Pro

Defender Pro is a security plugin that secures your WordPress website against many online threats. Defender Pro protects ePHI through its many features. With malware scanning, firewall and audit logging it’s a full shield to keep your site secure and HIPAA compliant. The malware scanner monitors your site for suspicious activity, the firewall blocks malicious traffic and the audit logging tracks all changes on your site so you can identify and address potential breaches.

To get the most out of Defender Pro configure it as follows: enable the firewall and set it to the highest level. Schedule malware scans to run daily or weekly depending on your site’s traffic. Make sure audit logging is turned on and review the logs regularly for any unusual activity. Enable 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) through Defender Pro to add an extra layer of security to your login. By tweaking these settings Defender Pro will provide continuous robust protection and keep your site secure and HIPAA compliant.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates encrypt the data between a user’s browser and your website’s server. This encryption means sensitive information like personal details or payment data can’t be intercepted by hackers during transmission. Without SSL your site is open to attack and your data and your users trust is at risk. An SSL site also tells visitors their data is secure which can increase user confidence and even impact your site’s search engine ranking.

To make sure your SSL is up to date and configured correctly:

  1. Verify SSL Installation: Use online tools like SSL Labs’ SSL Test to check your SSL is installed correctly and identify any vulnerabilities.
  2. Enable Auto Renewals: Many SSL providers offer auto renewal so your certificate doesn’t expire and leave your site unprotected.
  3. Force HTTPS Across Your Site: Make sure all website traffic is redirected from HTTP to HTTPS by setting up a 301 redirect or through your hosting control panel.
  4. Check for Mixed Content: Review your site to make sure all elements (e.g. images, scripts) are served over HTTPS to avoid mixed content warnings.

Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are your first line of defense against unauthorized access to your website’s admin accounts. Weak or reused passwords make it easy for hackers to breach your system and compromise your data and your entire site. Each admin account should have a unique and complex password with a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Avoid using easily guessable words or patterns like “admin123” or “password1”.

To keep strong password hygiene consider using a password manager. These tools can generate complex passwords and store them securely so you can manage multiple unique passwords without the risk of forgetting them. A good password manager can also remind you to change your passwords regularly to further secure your site. By enforcing strong unique passwords and changing them regularly you reduce the chance of a successful attack and keep your site and data secure.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is an extra layer of security beyond just a password. 2FA prevents unauthorized access and HIPAA violations. With 2FA even if a password is compromised an unauthorized user can’t access sensitive areas of your site because they also need a second factor, usually a code sent to a mobile device or generated by an app. This reduces the risk of breaches especially from phishing or password theft.

2FA on your WordPress site is easy and there are many great plugins to help. Google Authenticator and Authy are popular options that offer time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) that users enter along with their password. For an all-in-one security solution Defender Pro has 2FA built in so you can enforce 2FA across all user accounts. By enabling 2FA you make it infinitely harder for attackers to get in and keep your site and data safe.

SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol)

SFTP or Secure File Transfer Protocol is a must have for transferring your website data between your local computer and web server. Unlike FTP (File Transfer Protocol) which transmits data in plain text and is vulnerable to interception SFTP encrypts all data being transferred. This encryption prevents unauthorized access to sensitive information like login credentials and file contents so SFTP is a key component of HIPAA compliance and overall site security.

SFTP with Your Hosting Provider

To set up SFTP first make sure your hosting provider supports SFTP access. Most modern web hosts especially managed WordPress hosts offer this. You’ll need to generate an SSH key pair (a public and private key) on your local machine. Once generated upload the public key to your hosting account through the control panel or contact your hosting provider’s support team. Then configure your SFTP client (FileZilla or Cyberduck) with the private key, your server’s IP address and the correct port (usually port 22). With SFTP set up you can manage your site’s files securely and protect them from threats.

Data Protection, Privacy and Breach Notification Rules

Secure Forms Pro

Secure Forms Pro is a must have for any site that handles sensitive information like medical records or personal identifiable data. Secure Forms Pro protects individually identifiable health information (PHI) by encrypting all form data collected on your site. Built for WordPress this plugin ensures all form data collected on your site is fully encrypted and meets HIPAA compliance requirements. With Secure Forms Pro you can collect and store social security numbers, medical history and other confidential data without worrying about unauthorized access.

Secure Forms

Keep your customers’ trust intact by securely handling sensitive information, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations, and freeing up your time to focus on growing your business.

Purchase Plugin

Installing Secure Forms Pro is easy. Install and activate the plugin through your WordPress dashboard. Once activated go to the plugin settings and configure the encryption options. You can encrypt data at rest and in transit. You can also set permissions so sensitive data is only accessible to authorized personnel. Regular updates and easy to use interface makes it easy to maintain HIPAA compliance.

Section 4: Network and Hosting Security

Web Host Used

Choosing the right web host is key to HIPAA compliance. HIPAA covered entities must ensure their hosting provider meets the security and privacy requirements of HIPAA. Not all hosting providers are HIPAA compliant. A HIPAA compliant hosting solution means your site’s data is stored, transmitted and managed in a secure environment and sensitive information like patient records and personal health data is protected.

ClikIT’s web hosting is designed with security in mind, we offer dedicated CPU, memory and IP resources so your site is isolated from others reducing the risk of data breaches. Daily backups so your data is always recoverable with up to 720 restore points so you have peace of mind in case of an emergency. Our hosting also includes advanced security features like Web Application Firewall (WAF) and dynamic malware defense optimized for WordPress so your site is secure. Speaking about our WAF, it comes with

  1. Blocklist/Allowlist
  2. Automatic Virtual Patching
  3. Optimized for WordPress
  4. Minimal Performance Hit
  5. OWASP Top 10 Protection
  6. WAF Logs
  7. 25% faster than Top Plugin-Based Firewalls
  8. Managed Ruleset of 200+ protection rules

By choosing ClikIT you’re not just getting a web host you’re partnering with a team that will protect your site’s integrity and compliance.

Use CloudFlare

CloudFlare is a powerful tool to add extra security to your site. CloudFlare goes beyond basic security features. CloudFlare helps with HIPAA compliance by providing robust security features like DDoS protection and a Web Application Firewall. One of its best features is DDoS protection which absorbs and mitigates malicious traffic before it hits your server. CloudFlare’s Web Application Firewall (WAF) actively monitors and filters incoming traffic and blocks potential threats like SQL injections and cross-site scripting attacks which are common vectors for data breaches.

Another important feature is CloudFlare’s secure Content Delivery Network (CDN) which not only speeds up content delivery to your users by caching assets closer to them but also adds a layer of security by encrypting data in transit and protecting against man-in-the-middle attacks.

To use CloudFlare with your WordPress site:

  1. Sign up for a CloudFlare account and add your site.
  2. Update your domain’s DNS settings to point to CloudFlare’s nameservers.
  3. Install the CloudFlare WordPress plugin to optimize performance and security settings from your WordPress dashboard.
  4. Configure WAF and SSL settings in your CloudFlare dashboard to make your site fully protected.

So CloudFlare is now part of your site’s defense.

Implement reCAPTCHA for Form Security

To ensure that any forms on your site collecting PHI are secure, adding reCAPTCHA is a vital step. reCAPTCHA helps protect your website from bots and malicious traffic, ensuring that only legitimate users can access and submit sensitive information. By filtering out automated threats, reCAPTCHA can help prevent unauthorized access and spam, which is essential for maintaining compliance with HIPAA’s security standards.

Backups: Essential for HIPAA Compliance

Regular backups are another key component of HIPAA compliance. HIPAA requires that PHI is always recoverable in the event of data loss or a cyberattack. Implementing daily or even hourly backups ensures that sensitive data is secure and recoverable at any time. At ClikIT, we offer robust backup solutions, including daily backups with up to 30-day retention and 720 restore points, so you can quickly restore data and minimize downtime if a breach or technical issue occurs.

Conclusion

In summary, being HIPAA compliant is not a one time task but an ongoing responsibility. We’ve covered the key areas to maintain this compliance: technical security features like automated updates, strong passwords and SSL encryption; data protection through secure storage policies and tools like Secure Forms Pro; and hosting security, your web host is HIPAA compliant and using CloudFlare for extra protection.

Regular audits are important to stay up to date with security threats and regulatory changes. By doing regular checks you can fix vulnerabilities before they become big issues and keep sensitive information safe and private.

For extra peace of mind use additional resources like ClikIT Care which offers WordPress maintenance, security monitoring and regular updates tailored for HIPAA. Being vigilant and proactive is the best way to protect your site and stay compliant over time.

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Written By Blake Whittle

Owner of ClikIT, Blake has been involved in WordPress since 2014. Once designer & developer, now he manages the team at ClikIT and provides project management & strategic vision to their clients. Now, he's leading the change at ClikIT to become a plugin company.

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