10 WAYS TO AVOID HIPAA VIOLATIONS
Practical, actionable steps to reduce your HIPAA compliance risk and protect patient data from the most common violations.
Administrative Actions
- Conduct annual risk assessments
- Train all staff on HIPAA policies
- Establish incident response procedures
- Review and update BAAs regularly
Technical Actions
- Encrypt ePHI at rest and in transit
- Implement multi-factor authentication
- Deploy access controls and audit logging
- Maintain and test backup systems
Stop HIPAA Violations
The most impactful steps you can take today.
Risk Assessment
The single most important compliance action and the most commonly cited violation.
Encryption
Encrypt all ePHI to qualify for safe harbor in the event of a breach.
Access Controls
Limit access to patient data based on role and need.
Training
Educate every workforce member on HIPAA requirements and threats.
Incident Planning
Document response procedures before a breach occurs.
Monitoring
Continuous monitoring detects unauthorized access and policy violations.
Related Services
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common HIPAA violation?
Failure to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment is the most frequently cited violation in OCR enforcement actions.
Does encryption provide safe harbor?
Yes. If properly encrypted data is breached, it is not considered a reportable breach under HIPAA.
How often should staff be trained?
At minimum annually, with additional training when policies change or new threats emerge.
Can PTG help with all 10 steps?
Yes. We provide comprehensive HIPAA compliance services including assessment, remediation, training, and monitoring. Visit our HIPAA compliance page for details.
What are the penalties for HIPAA violations?
Fines range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, up to $1.5 million annually per violation category, plus potential criminal penalties.
Strengthen Your HIPAA Compliance
Schedule a HIPAA risk assessment with PTG.