Are you aware of GDPR compliance rules? There’s nothing wrong if you’re not but GDPR is a complicated and constantly changing piece of legislation. The main issue is data protection. Customers have control over their personal data , and digital data storage is secure. It is possible to learn more about GDPR from other organizations or get started with it.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and GDPR (Global Data Protection Regulations) are two acronyms healthcare providers and businesses that handle personal data should be familiar with. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is an US law that regulates the sharing and processing of patient’s health information. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), is a regulation issued by the European Union (EU). It covers all businesses processing personal data from EU residents. These regulations vary in scope but they all have the same aim of ensuring security and privacy.
Important Reasons to be HIPAA and GDPR secure
The compliance with HIPAA and GDPR are vital for a variety of reasons. In the first place, it helps to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. Healthcare organizations, for instance deal with sensitive medical data that could be used for identity theft or medical fraud. GDPR is applicable to companies handling personal information such as addresses, names, email addresses, and other information that could be used in fraud, identity theft, or scams.
The regulations are legally obligatory. HIPAA regulations are applicable to healthcare providers, healthcare plans and healthcare clearinghouses. HIPAA violations can result in civil penalties and criminal charges in addition to damage to the image of health providers. The GDPR also applies to all businesses handling personal data of EU residents regardless of their place of operation. Failure to comply could result in harsh penalties, and possibly legal actions.
In compliance with these regulations can create trust with customers and patients. Customers and patients expect their personal data to be treated with care and confidentiality. Compliance with HIPAA or GDPR regulations will demonstrate that the business cares about security and privacy of data.
HIPAA and GDPR Compliance Important Requirements
HIPAA Regulations and GDPR have numerous requirements that businesses must be aware of. In the case of HIPAA covered entities, they have to guarantee the integrity, confidentiality and availability of protected health information electronically (ePHI). That means covered entities must establish administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized access and disclosure, as well as use or misuse of the ePHI. Covered entities must also have procedures and policies in place to deal with potential security breaches and security incidents.
GDPR demands that individuals provide explicit consent to businesses collecting and processing personal data. The consent must be granted clearly, completely, in writing and precise. The GDPR requires that businesses give individuals the right to access, rectify and erase their personal data. Additionally, companies must take the necessary technical and organizational steps to safeguard personal data.
HIPAA Compliance as well as GDPR Compliance: Best practices
Businesses must follow the best practices to protect personal data and ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations. Some best practices include:
Examining the risks: Businesses should conduct regular risk assessments to evaluate the integrity, security, or accessibility of personal data. This will allow you to identify security weaknesses and establish the proper security measures.
Implementing access controls: Companies must restrict access to personal information to those who are authorized. This includes implementing secure passwords, multi-factor authentication, and access control based on the principle of the principle of least privilege.
Training employees: Regular training should be given to employees regarding data privacy. This could help avoid accidental or intentional data leaks.
Plan for response to incidents The company should plan to deal with potential security breaches and other incidents. This could include selecting a response group as well as establishing protocols for communication and regularly conducting drills.
Organizations that handle personal data have to comply with HIPAA compliance as well as GDPR. These laws are intended to protect sensitive information from unauthorised access, disclosure, or misuse. They also demonstrate a commitment towards data security and privacy. Companies can adhere to the regulations by adopting the best practices such as conducting risk assessments, setting up access controls, educating employees, or creating plan for response to an incident.
For more information, click HIPAA compliance