HIPAA and zipped encrypted files (2024)

FAQs

HIPAA and zipped encrypted files? ›

The short answer: an encrypted zip file would show that you implemented a control to protect PHI

The HIPAA Security Rule encryption requirements are to “implement a mechanism to encrypt and decrypt ePHI” to allow access only to those persons or software programs that have been granted access rights (45 CFR §164.312(a)(1)), and to “implement a mechanism to encrypt ePHI whenever deemed appropriate” to guard against ...

Cracking the code: the kinds of files you absolutely need to encrypt. As a good rule of thumb, you need to encrypt any file that contains sensitive or confidential information, whether it's legal or financial, business, or personal.

If you want the file to be encrypted before it is adding it to a zip file you can encrypt the file or encrypt the entire partition on the storage device. Otherwise, you will need to delete the file yourself after adding it to a zip file.

Best practices for the sharing of PDFs containing PHI

Ensure that encryption algorithms meet HIPAA's standards, such as AES 256-bit encryption. Encrypted PDFs add an extra layer of security, ensuring that even if the file is intercepted, the PHI remains protected.

Encryption can be an effective information protection control when it is necessary to possess confidential data. Encryption is the process of concealing data by using a code. After encryption, in order to read or use the concealed data, the code used during encryption must be known. This process is called decryption.

Financial data: Bank account numbers, credit card information, and other financial records need to be secured with encryption. Medical records: Patient data, health insurance information, and any other medical-related files must be encrypted to comply with privacy regulations like HIPAA.

Your financial records, including bank statements, tax returns, investment portfolios, and credit card statements, are a goldmine for cybercriminals. Encrypting these files can prevent unapproved access, reducing the risk of financial fraud and identity theft.

Encryption protects the contents of a file from being read by anyone who doesn't have the encryption key.

Is A Zip file confidential? ›

ZIP archives store compressed files including their metadata (filesize, date/time, ...). When a contained file is password protected, the compressed data is encrypted, but the metadata is not.

The correct order is to compress the file first and then encrypt the compressed data. This provides both security and efficiency benefits for protecting your sensitive information during storage or transmission.

Rather than share one large file or several files one-by-one, you can Zip the files to compress the size, and then share the single Zip file. Unfortunately, this simple compression technology lacks basic security.

HIPAA requires that all Protected Health Information (PHI) transmitted electronically must be encrypted to protect it from unauthorized access or disclosure. This includes data stored on computers, networks, and other digital media such as emails, text messages, and cloud storage services.

HIPAA encryption in transit is when an encrypted document, file, or image containing ePHI is sent electronically from one person to another. From the time the communication leaves the sender's device until the time it reaches the recipient's device, the document, file, or image is considered to be “in transit”.

The HIPAA Security Rule requires physicians to protect patients' electronically stored, protected health information (known as “ePHI”) by using appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and security of this information.

HIPAA requirements for data at rest

PHI must be encrypted with an Advanced Encryption Standard of 128-bits or higher, a secure cryptographic algorithm that provides adequate levels of protection.

The Data Encryption Standard (DES /ˌdiːˌiːˈɛs, dɛz/) is a symmetric-key algorithm for the encryption of digital data. Although its short key length of 56 bits makes it too insecure for modern applications, it has been highly influential in the advancement of cryptography.

Encryption ensures that unauthorized third parties or threat actors cannot understand the data in the event they gain access to it. For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard requires merchants to encrypt customer payment card data both at rest and when transmitted across public networks.

The purpose of an encryption policy is to establish, at a senior management level, the business and compliance expectations that the organization needs to meet. The policy serves as a starting point to define a suitable encryption strategy.