We build the encryption, access controls, audit logging, and breach response workflows the Security Rule requires — designed into the architecture before the first line of application code.
Talk to our team about your product's PHI handling environment. We reply within 24 hours.
Every digital health product that handles patient data operates under HIPAA. The Security Rule translates into specific code and architecture decisions — encryption, access control, audit logging, and breach response built in from the start.
All PHI transmitted over open networks uses TLS 1.2 or higher. All stored PHI — databases, backups, exported files, object storage — is encrypted with AES-256. No unencrypted PHI in any storage medium, including developer environments.
Role-based access control limits PHI visibility to what each user role requires. Unique user identifiers ensure every access event is attributable. Automatic session timeout and multi-factor authentication satisfy both HIPAA requirements and enterprise healthcare customer expectations.
Every access to PHI is logged — who, what, when, from where, what action. Logs are protected from modification, retained per applicable law, and designed into the application architecture from day one, not retrofitted.
Exact retrievable copies of ePHI with tested restoration processes, defined recovery time objectives, and documented backup procedures. Healthcare customers ask about backup frequency, retention periods, and recovery capabilities in every security review.
APIs return only the patient data the requesting application needs for its specific use case. Data minimization at the query and API layer is part of compliant design — a clinician viewing an appointment schedule does not receive a full medical history unless required.
A BAA must be in place with every healthcare organization customer and every cloud provider hosting PHI before any patient data is shared. AWS, Azure, and GCP all offer HIPAA-eligible services and sign BAAs — but the BAA alone does not make an application compliant.
A five-step process from threat modeling to policy documentation — each step with specific technical deliverables that determine whether a healthcare application passes enterprise security reviews and regulatory audits.
Each consequence traces to a specific gap — missing encryption, inadequate access controls, or audit logging added as an afterthought. Click through to see what changes when compliance is built in.
Book a HIPAA Development ConsultationEach Security Rule requirement maps to specific code and architecture decisions — implemented directly, not checked off on a compliance spreadsheet.
PHI must be protected during transmission and in storage. These are the specific technical standards the Security Rule points to.
Access to ePHI must be limited to those who need it — at the role, user, and session level.
Activity involving ePHI must be logged so unauthorized access can be detected and investigated.
The Security Rule requires exact retrievable copies of ePHI and tested restoration processes.
Legal agreements and documented policies are required alongside technical controls.
Major cloud providers offer HIPAA-eligible services and sign BAAs — but the application team remains responsible for implementing the controls.
Security libraries, cloud services, and compliance tooling — selected to match your application environment and satisfy HIPAA technical safeguard requirements from the first deployment.
A
AWS HIPAA
A
Azure Healthcare
G
Google Cloud HCAPI
A
AWS HealthLake
A
Azure Health Data
A
AWS KMS
A
Azure Key Vault
G
Google Cloud KMS
T
TLS 1.2 / 1.3
A
AES-256
A
AWS IAM
A
Azure AD / Entra
A
Auth0
O
Okta
R
Role-Based Access
A
AWS CloudTrail
A
Azure Monitor
D
Datadog
S
SOC 2 Type II
H
HITRUST CSF
Encryption, access controls, audit logging, breach response — we build HIPAA technical safeguards into the architecture before the first line of application code. Book a consultation and we will tell you what compliant software development looks like for your product and patient data environment.
Book a HIPAA Development Consultation
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Yes. HIPAA applies based on whether an organization handles PHI belonging to patients in the United States, not based on where the organization is physically located. A Canadian software company that stores, processes, or transmits PHI for U.S.-based healthcare organizations is a Business Associate under HIPAA and must comply with the Security Rule and sign Business Associate Agreements with its U.S. customers. Many Canadian digital health companies serve both U.S. and Canadian markets and must navigate both HIPAA and the applicable provincial health information privacy legislation — PHIPA in Ontario, HIA in Alberta, and similar frameworks in other provinces.
There is no official HIPAA certification process administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Organizations cannot be officially certified as HIPAA compliant by any government agency. When companies claim HIPAA certification, they typically mean they have completed a third-party audit or assessment of their security practices against HIPAA requirements. These assessments are valuable for demonstrating compliance posture to customers and can be conducted by security firms specializing in healthcare compliance — but they are not issued by a government authority and do not provide legal protection against enforcement action.
A Business Associate Agreement, called a BAA, is a contract between a Covered Entity and a Business Associate that establishes the terms under which PHI can be shared and processed. HIPAA requires that a BAA be in place before any PHI is shared with a Business Associate. For digital health software companies, this means signing a BAA with every healthcare organization customer before the product goes live with real patient data. Cloud service providers that will host PHI — including AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure — must also sign BAAs with the software company before PHI can be stored on their infrastructure.
HIPAA does not prohibit using cloud infrastructure to host healthcare applications, but it does require that cloud providers sign a Business Associate Agreement and that appropriate technical controls are implemented at the application and infrastructure level. Major cloud providers including AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure all offer HIPAA-eligible services and will sign BAAs. However, signing a BAA with a cloud provider does not automatically make an application compliant. The software team remains responsible for implementing encryption, access controls, audit logging, and the other required safeguards within the application and its cloud configuration.
