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 with technical deliverables that determine whether a healthcare application passes enterprise security reviews.
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 sign BAAs and offer HIPAA-eligible services — but your team owns 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 U.S. patients, not where it is located. A Canadian software company processing PHI for U.S. healthcare organizations is a Business Associate under HIPAA and must sign BAAs and comply with the Security Rule.
There is no official HIPAA certification issued by any government agency. When companies claim HIPAA certification, they mean they completed a third-party audit against HIPAA requirements — valuable for demonstrating compliance posture to customers, but not a government-issued credential and not a shield against enforcement.
A BAA is a contract between a Covered Entity and a Business Associate establishing the terms under which PHI can be shared. It must be signed before any PHI is exchanged — with every healthcare customer and with any cloud provider that will host PHI.
Cloud hosting is permitted under HIPAA provided the provider signs a BAA and appropriate controls are in place. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud all offer HIPAA-eligible services — but signing a BAA with a cloud provider does not make the application compliant. The software team is still responsible for encryption, access controls, and audit logging.
