HIPAA Compliant Software Development

Developing software that handles Protected Health Information (PHI) requires more than checking boxes. It demands a security-first approach embedded throughout the development process.

Understanding HIPAA Requirements

HIPAA's Security Rule requires three types of safeguards:

Administrative Safeguards

• Risk analysis and management
• Workforce training and access management
• Contingency planning
• Business associate agreements

Physical Safeguards

• Facility access controls
• Workstation security
• Device and media controls

Technical Safeguards

• Access controls (unique user IDs, automatic logoff)
• Audit controls (activity logging)
• Integrity controls (data validation)
• Transmission security (encryption)

Development Best Practices

1. Encryption Everywhere

• AES-256 encryption for data at rest
• TLS 1.3 for data in transit
• Encrypted database fields for PHI
• Encrypted backups

2. Access Control

• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Minimum necessary access principle
• Multi-factor authentication
• Session timeouts

3. Audit Logging

• Log all PHI access
• Log authentication attempts
• Log data modifications
• Tamper-evident log storage

4. Secure Architecture

• Network segmentation
• Web application firewall
• Intrusion detection
• Regular security assessments

Common HIPAA Development Mistakes

• Storing PHI in application logs
• Insufficient session management
• Lack of audit trail
• Plain-text data transmission
• Inadequate backup encryption
• Missing BAAs with vendors

Our Healthcare Development Approach

Every healthcare project we undertake includes:

• Security architecture review
• HIPAA compliance checklist verification
• Penetration testing before launch
• Documentation for compliance audits
• Ongoing security monitoring options