HIPAA Q&A: Satisfactory encryption
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, July 2, 2010
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Q. Would use of an operating system with 128-bit encryption satisfy the definition of secure electronic protected health information (PHI) for data at rest?
A. The PHI currently would be considered secure pursuant to the interim final rule on breach notification. Remain aware of NIST encryption standards, however, because encryption requirements may change in the future. The definition of secure electronic PHI, which relates directly to NIST encryption standards, is subject to periodic updates that address technology changes and new security threats.
Editor’s note: Chris Apgar, CISSP, president of Apgar & Associates, LLC, in Portland, OR, answered this question. Apgar has more than 17 years of experience in information technology and specializes in security compliance, assessments, training, and strategic planning. He is a board member of the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange and chair of the Oregon and Southwest Washington Healthcare, Privacy, and Security Forum.
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