This Smart Guide is designed to help you better understand and respond to a breach of HIPAA.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by the United States congress in 1996. It's objectives are two-fold: protecting the health insurance of American when they lose or change jobs; and establishing a national standard for access to and use of electronic health care information.

Several updates to the original bill have been made since, including the Privacy Rule and The Omnibus Rule. These latest amendments have been made to expand the original scope of HIPAA and reflect newer industries and organizations leveraging Protected Health Information (PHI).

If you aren't familiar with HIPAA, you can learn more about it through our other Smart Guide: What Is HIPAA And How Does It Apply To Me?

If you're looking for a tactical framework to become HIPAA compliant, you can get How To Become HIPAA Compliant.