Strengthening HIPAA Compliance with Network Segmentation

More stringent cybersecurity measures loom large in the healthcare industry as organizations struggle to secure electronic protected health information (ePHI). The number of breached healthcare records has surged more than 300% in recent years, leaving healthcare records for 82% of the United States population exposed, stolen, or impermissibly disclosed in 2024. Meanwhile, healthcare data breaches remain the costliest of any industry, averaging $9.77M compared to $4.88M across all sectors.  

Given these stakes, it’s little wonder the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the “rampant escalation of cyberattacks using hacking and ransomware” in the healthcare industry warrants tightening strict regulatory frameworks like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Regardless of potential regulatory changes on the horizon, today’s threat landscape urgently requires healthcare organizations to embrace a proactive approach to compliance. However, achieving and maintaining compliance can prove complex, particularly for healthcare providers managing hybrid infrastructures, legacy systems, and third-party service providers.  

Fortunately, the right solution can dramatically streamline compliance efforts. Through automated network segmentation, identity-based access controls, and microsegmentation, healthcare organizations can secure ePHI, prevent lateral movement, and ensure compliance with HIPAA’s Security Standards – all without adding operational complexity.  

Understanding HIPAA Compliance and Security Requirements 

The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities and business associates to implement strict safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI. These safeguards fall into three categories: 

• Administrative Safeguards – Policies and procedures for managing security, including risk assessments and workforce security controls. 
• Technical Safeguards – Technology-based protections such as access control, audit logging, and authentication. 
• Physical Safeguards – Measures to protect IT infrastructure, including facility access controls and device security. 

Many of these requirements mandate stringent network segmentation and access control to prevent unauthorized users from accessing or moving laterally within healthcare networks. Solutions with robust network segmentation and access control capabilities isolate sensitive data, enforce strict access policies, and continuously monitor network activity to help reduce the scope of compliance, strengthen security postures, and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. 

To clarify how automated segmentation and access management solutions can help healthcare providers significantly reduce the risk of non-compliance, simplify audits, and enhance overall security, we’ll explore the specific HIPAA requirements an advanced segmentation solution like Zero Networks helps address.  

Security Management Process: Risk Analysis and Risk Management (§ 164.308(a)(1)) 

HIPAA requires covered entities to conduct regular risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and implement safeguards that protect ePHI from cyber threats like ransomware and unauthorized access. Organizations must ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI while maintaining a proactive security posture to prevent breaches and compliance violations. 

By automating network segmentation, healthcare organizations can enforce strict access controls, minimizing unauthorized access and lateral movement. Blocking unnecessary traffic by default significantly reduces the attack surface and prevents threats from spreading across healthcare environments. 

With continuous monitoring and real-time policy enforcement, Zero Networks helps organizations proactively contain risks, simplifying compliance with HIPAA’s risk management requirements. Additionally, Zero Networks simplifies audit readiness by providing detailed visibility into network activity, allowing healthcare providers to quickly respond to audit inquiries and remediation efforts.  

Workforce Security (§ 164.308(a)(3)) 

For HIPAA compliance, covered entities are required to restrict workforce access to electronic protected health information (ePHI) based on job responsibilities. Organizations must implement role-based access controls (RBAC) to ensure employees, contractors, and administrators only access the data necessary for their duties. This requirement reduces insider threats, prevents unauthorized access, and enforces least-privilege security principles across healthcare environments.  

Automating least-privilege access control ensures users only have the minimum permissions required for their roles. By enforcing real-time segmentation policies, Zero Networks prevents unauthorized access to ePHI and eliminates unnecessary lateral movement within healthcare networks.  

With just-in-time (JIT) access and network-layer multi-factor authentication (MFA), Zero Networks secures privileged accounts without adding friction to day-to-day operations. Even if an attacker compromises user credentials, they remain blocked from sensitive systems unless explicitly authenticated.  

Information Access Management (§ 164.308(a)(4))  

HIPAA mandates that covered entities enforce strict access controls to ensure only authorized personnel can access ePHI. Organizations must implement technical and administrative safeguards, including RBAC and continuous access monitoring, to prevent unauthorized access to healthcare records. This requirement aligns with the principle of least privilege (PoLP) and is critical in mitigating insider threats and external breaches.  

Zero Networks provides dynamic, identity-based access control that ensures only pre-approved users and devices can interact with sensitive healthcare data. By combining automated microsegmentation with adaptive identity enforcement, Zero Networks blocks unauthorized access and prevents lateral movement – aligning seamlessly with HIPAA’s access management policies.  

Through JIT authentication and network-layer MFA, Zero Networks verifies access requests in real time, ensuring only those with explicit authorization can reach protected assets. Additionally, continuous monitoring detects and responds to suspicious access attempts instantly, reducing the risk of credential-based attacks.  

By automating access governance and enforcing strict identity policies, healthcare organizations streamline compliance efforts while reinforcing security against evolving threats.  

Third-Party Service Provider Security (§ 164.308(b))  

Entities covered under HIPAA are required to implement strict access controls for third-party vendors, contractors, and service providers handling ePHI. Organizations must establish Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) to ensure external partners follow security protocols that safeguard patient data. Without proper controls, third-party vulnerabilities can serve as entry points for cyberattacks, increasing the risk of data breaches. 

Zero Networks automates access control policies for third-party users, ensuring vendors and contractors can only reach authorized resources. By leveraging identity-based segmentation and least-privilege enforcement, healthcare organizations prevent third-party access from becoming a security liability.  

Through granular microsegmentation, organizations can restrict vendor access to only the necessary systems and data, eliminating unnecessary exposure. Additionally, continuous monitoring and real-time authentication ensure that even approved third parties verify their identities before accessing sensitive environments.  

Security Incident Procedures (§ 164.308(a)(6))  

HIPAA mandates that healthcare organizations establish comprehensive incident response plans to detect, report, and mitigate security incidents in a timely manner. Covered entities must ensure that security breaches – including unauthorized access, malware infections, and data exfiltration – are swiftly contained to minimize damage to ePHI and prevent further compromise. A well-structured incident response process is critical for maintaining compliance and safeguarding patient data.  

Even if an attacker gains initial access, their ability to move laterally can be immediately cut off with real-time breach containment. Zero Networks’ automated microsegmentation dynamically isolates compromised systems, preventing threats from spreading further. By allowing security teams to immediately address affected systems, Zero Networks enables streamlined service restoration that doesn’t impact the rest of the organization. This proactive approach strengthens breach containment strategies, ensures compliance with HIPAA’s security incident mandates, and enhances overall cybersecurity resilience for healthcare organizations.  

Access Control (§ 164.312(a)(1))  

HIPAA requires healthcare organizations to implement technical safeguards that ensure only authorized personnel can access ePHI. This includes enforcing RBAC, session monitoring, and restrictions on unnecessary data sharing to prevent unauthorized exposure. Organizations must establish policies that limit access based on job function, ensuring that sensitive patient information is only available to those with a legitimate need.  

By enforcing identity-based segmentation, Zero Networks ensures that access to ePHI is strictly controlled at every level. Implementing granular, least-privilege access policies means Zero Networks automatically restricts unauthorized movement across networks, allowing security teams to define who can access what, when, and how.  

Audit Controls (§ 164.312(b))  

To achieve HIPAA compliance, covered entities are required to track and examine all activity within information systems that store, process, or transmit ePHI. Organizations must implement audit mechanisms that allow security teams to log, monitor, and review access events, helping to detect unauthorized access attempts, system anomalies, or potential breaches. These logs are critical for incident response, regulatory compliance, and forensic investigations following a security event.  

Real-time visibility into network activity is essential for maintaining security and compliance. Zero Networks automates audit logging and access tracking, delivering detailed, timestamped logs of every network interaction. This enables security teams to quickly identify anomalies, detect unauthorized access attempts, and respond proactively before potential threats escalate.  

By blocking unnecessary access, Zero Networks significantly reduces the scope of audits, streamlining compliance efforts and simplifying regulatory reporting.  

Person or Entity Authentication (§ 164.312(d))  

HIPAA requires covered entities to implement strong authentication measures to verify the identities of individuals and entities accessing ePHI. This includes MFA or other secure mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access and ensure only approved users can interact with sensitive healthcare systems. Given the rise of credential-based attacks and insider threats, authentication is essential for safeguarding patient data and preventing breaches. 

Advanced network-layer MFA ensures that every access attempt is thoroughly verified before reaching sensitive systems. Unlike traditional MFA solutions that focus solely on application logins, Zero Networks enforces authentication at the port level, blocking unauthorized access before a connection can even be established.  

This approach provides seamless yet powerful security, protecting:  

• Legacy applications that lack built-in MFA support  
• Medical databases containing protected health information (PHI)  
• IoT and medical devices vulnerable to exploitation  
• Administrative ports often targeted by ransomware and cyberattacks  

Zero Networks eliminates blind spots in network security by enforcing authentication before access is granted, supporting HIPAA compliance while stopping unauthorized access attempts at the source.  

Future-Proofing HIPAA Compliance with Zero Networks  

Meeting and maintaining HIPAA compliance requires more than just following regulations – it demands proactive security measures that prevent data breaches before they happen. Zero Networks automates compliance enforcement, reducing operational complexity and eliminating common security gaps that put patient data at risk.  

Why Organizations Choose Zero Networks for HIPAA Compliance:  

• Effortless Network Segmentation – Block unauthorized access and contain breaches automatically  
• Identity-Based Access Control – Enforce least-privilege access across users, devices, and applications  
• Automated Audit Logging – Simplify compliance reporting and respond faster to audit inquiries  
• MFA for Everything – Apply strong authentication to legacy applications, medical devices, and critical healthcare systems  

Protect patient data and streamline compliance. Zero Networks helps healthcare organizations enforce HIPAA security standards through dynamic access controls, real-time threat containment, and automated segmentation, reducing risk without added complexity – request a demo to see how.