HIPAA Compliance
Breach Management
A data breach is stressful enough without scrambling to figure out what to do next. We help healthcare organizations prepare before it happens, respond when it does, and recover with a clear plan.
A documented, tested incident response plan so your team knows exactly who to contact, what to shut down, and how to contain a breach before it spreads. Built around your organization, not a generic template.
When a breach occurs, we help you investigate the scope, identify affected records, and contain the damage. We work alongside your team to move quickly and document everything for regulatory reporting.
Not every security incident qualifies as a reportable breach. We perform the four-factor risk assessment required under §164.402 to determine whether notification is required and document the analysis.
HIPAA requires notification to affected individuals, HHS, and in some cases the media, within specific timeframes. We handle the notification process so deadlines are met and language is accurate.
After the dust settles, we help you fix what broke. That means patching the vulnerability, updating policies, retraining staff, and strengthening safeguards so the same thing does not happen again.
Your team should know how to recognize and report a potential breach. We run tabletop exercises that simulate real scenarios so your staff is prepared, not just policy-aware.
How breach management works
1. Prepare
We build your incident response plan, train your team, and put monitoring in place so you can detect issues early.
2. Respond
When an incident occurs, we help investigate, contain, and assess the breach. We handle notification requirements and regulatory communication.
3. Recover
We remediate the root cause, update your security posture, and document everything for compliance records and future audits.
Frequently asked questions
What qualifies as a HIPAA breach?+
Under HIPAA, a breach is the unauthorized acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of protected health information that compromises its security or privacy. Not every security incident is a breach. A four-factor risk assessment under §164.402 determines whether notification is required.
How quickly do I need to report a HIPAA breach?+
Covered entities must notify affected individuals within 60 days of discovering a breach. If the breach affects 500 or more people, you must also notify HHS and prominent media outlets in the affected area within the same timeframe.
What are the penalties for failing to report a breach?+
Penalties range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, up to $1.5 million per year for repeated violations of the same provision. The severity depends on whether the failure was due to willful neglect and whether corrective action was taken.
Do we need an incident response plan before a breach happens?+
Yes. HIPAA requires covered entities to have procedures for identifying, responding to, and mitigating security incidents. Having a tested plan in place before an incident occurs reduces response time, limits damage, and demonstrates good faith to regulators.