If you run a medical or dental practice, you already know HIPAA governs how you handle patient records. What is changing is how specific the federal government is getting about your actual network, not just your paperwork. Here is what practice managers and owners need to understand in plain English, without the legal jargon.
What’s actually changing
The Department of Health and Human Services proposed the first major update to the HIPAA Security Rule since 2013. As of this writing, the update has not been finalized, so nothing is enforceable yet. But the direction is clear, and regulators expect a final rule with a compliance timeline to follow. The proposal would take several protections that used to be optional, labeled “addressable,” and make them required for nearly every practice, regardless of size.
The specifics that matter most to a practice’s day-to-day network include:
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Network segmentation would become a required control, meaning patient record systems would need to be kept separate from general office Wi-Fi and other devices
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Multi-factor authentication would be required across systems that touch patient data
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Encryption of patient information, both stored and in transit, would no longer be optional
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Regular technical testing, including vulnerability scans and penetration tests on a set schedule, rather than a one-time setup
Why network segmentation specifically matters for a practice
Most small practices run on what is called a flat network: the front desk computer, the practice management software, the office Wi-Fi, and sometimes even guest Wi-Fi for the waiting room, all sitting on the same connection. If any one of those gets compromised, an attacker can often move freely to reach patient records.
The proposed rule calls this out directly because it addresses one of the most common ways healthcare breaches happen. Not through some elaborate hack, but through lateral movement from one weak point to everything else. Regulators want practices to build in walls so a breach in one place cannot become a breach of everything.
You do not need to panic, and you do not need to wait
Because the final rule has not been published, there is no compliance deadline hanging over your practice today. That said, most of what is being proposed reflects practices that a well-run office should already be doing. Waiting until a deadline is announced, and then scrambling, is a much harder position than starting now.
A few honest questions worth asking your team:
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Does your patient record system sit on a separate network from guest and general office Wi-Fi?
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Is multi-factor authentication required for anyone accessing patient data?
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Could you produce documentation showing your current safeguards if an auditor asked tomorrow?
Compliance is a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture
It is worth saying plainly: no product makes your practice “HIPAA compliant” on its own. What a well-built network gives you is the audit trail, access controls, and segmentation that auditors and regulators are looking for, alongside your existing policies and staff training.
CONNECT was built with exactly this kind of practice in mind: segmentation, device visibility, and activity logs that exist automatically, not as a special project you have to hire someone for. It runs underneath your existing practice management software without changing how your team works day to day. Learn more on our business page.
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