Are you aware of GDPR’s compliance rules? You don’t need to be however, it’s possible to be intimidated by intricate and constantly changing GDPR laws. It’s all about protection of data that gives customers the ability to control their personal data and providing secure storage for all data that is digital. It doesn’t matter whether you are just starting to understand GDPR, or if you are looking to learn more about the rules for organizations across the globe.
HIPAA and GDPR are two terms that healthcare providers and businesses handling personal information should be familiar with. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), is an US law that governs the disclosure and use of patient’s health information. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDR) is an EU regulation that affects all companies that handle personal information from EU citizens. While these regulations may differ in their scope however, they have a common purpose: protecting privacy and security of personal data.
Important Reasons to be HIPAA and GDPR conformant
The compliance with HIPAA and GDPR are crucial due to a variety of reasons. In the first place, it helps to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. Healthcare organizations, for instance are responsible for handling sensitive medical information that could be used to perpetrate identity fraud or medical theft. Companies that handle personal information such as addresses, names, emails addresses, and other data that could lead to identity theft, scams or phishing is subject to the GDPR.
These laws are legally binding. HIPAA regulations are applicable to healthcare professionals, health plans, as well as healthcare clearinghouses. HIPAA violations could lead to civil or criminal charges and damage to a healthcare provider’s reputation. In the same way, GDPR applies to all businesses that handle personal data of EU residents regardless of their geographical location. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal actions.
These regulations are important in helping establish trust between the customers and patients. Patients and customers expect their personal data to be handled with respect and privacy. Compliance to HIPAA regulations and GDPR regulations could show that a business values security and privacy of data and is committed to safeguarding personal data.
HIPAA and GDPR Compliance: Key Requirements
Businesses should be aware that HIPAA regulations as well as GDPR regulations are brimming with regulations. For HIPAA covered organizations, they must protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of protected health information electronically (ePHI). This means that covered entities have to implement technical, administrative and physical security measures to protect against unauthorized access and disclosure, as well as use or misuse of ePHI. To address security breaches and incidents, covered organizations should have procedures and policies.
For GDPRcompliance, companies must have the explicit consent of individuals to process and collect of their personal information. Consent should be freely provided in a specific and clear manner. It must also not be unclear. Businesses must also provide individuals with access to their personal information with the option of rectifying and deleting the data under GDPR. The companies must also take necessary technical and organizational steps to ensure the security of personal information.
HIPAA and GDPR Compliance – Best Practices
To be in compliance with HIPAA and GDPR regulations, businesses should implement best practices that guarantee the privacy and security of personal information. A few best practices are:
Risk assessments should be conducted regularly: Businesses should be able to regularly assess the risk to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal data. This will enable you to recognize the weaknesses and set up appropriate security measures.
Set up access controls only authorized employees should be granted access to personal information. You can make use of strong passwords, multifactor authentication and access controls based on the principle least privilege.
Employees training: Employees must receive regular training on data security and privacy. This will prevent accidental or deliberate data breach.
Incident response plans must be developed by organizations to deal with security breaches and incidents. This might include creating a response team and regularly communicating with them.
For businesses that process personal data, HIPAA Compliance and GDPR Compliance are essential. These regulations help protect sensitive data from unauthorised access, disclosure, and misuse. They also demonstrate the company’s commitment to security and privacy of data. Businesses can comply with these rules by implementing 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
