The Privacy Rule focuses on the rights of individuals to control their health information, while the Security Rule specifically governs the technical, physical, and administrative safeguards required to protect ePHI from unauthorized access and breaches.

Yes. If a vendor creates, receives, maintains, or transmits PHI on your behalf, they are considered a "Business Associate" and you must have a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) in place. Failure to do so is a common violation cited in audits.

Technically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does not endorse any specific certification. However, obtaining a third-party attestation or validation demonstrates "due diligence" and proof of compliance efforts, which is critical if you are ever audited or investigated.

HIPAA requires risk assessments to be "ongoing." Best practice suggests conducting a full assessment annually, or whenever there is a significant change to your environment (e.g., new EMR, office move, or major IT upgrade).

You must notify affected individuals, the Secretary of HHS, and potentially the media (if the breach affects >500 people). Our platform includes an Incident Response Plan to guide you through these notifications within the required 60-day window.