HIPAA For MSPs And
MSSPs — And Their Clients
Deliver scalable, HIPAA-aligned cybersecurity services with Cynomi’s AI-powered vCISO platform. Help healthcare clients protect patient data, streamline compliance, and reduce regulatory risk with automated assessments and structured documentation.
What is HIPAA and Why
Does It Matter for MSPs and MSSPs?
HIPAA is a U.S. federal law that sets national standards for the protection of Protected Health Information (PHI). It applies to healthcare providers, insurers, and their business associates. The HIPAA Security Rule, in particular, mandates safeguards for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic PHI (ePHI).
For MSPs and MSSPs, HIPAA creates ongoing demand for cybersecurity, compliance, and documentation services. As covered entities and business associates face increasing enforcement and complexity, providers that align with HIPAA can deliver high-value support—from risk assessments to policy development and breach response planning.
What Organizations Does
HIPAA Apply To?
HIPAA applies to covered entities and their business associates operating in or handling U.S. healthcare data. This includes:
Hospitals and Clinics
Health Insurance Providers
Medical Billing and Claims Vendors
Medical Device and Telehealth Companies
SaaS and Cloud Providers Serving Healthcare
MSPs and MSSPs supporting healthcare clients
HIPAA Core Components
The HIPAA Security Rule outlines administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required for protecting ePHI. MSPs and MSSPs play a key role in helping clients meet and maintain these standards:
Administrative Safeguards
Risk analysis, workforce training, contingency planning, and role-based access policies.
Physical Safeguards
Facility access controls, workstation security, and device protection.
Technical Safeguards
Encryption, access control, audit logging, and integrity verification of ePHI systems.
Why MSPs and MSSPs
Should Align With HIPAA
By aligning with HIPAA, providers can standardize service delivery, support regulatory compliance, and strengthen client trust in sensitive data protection.
Provide structured HIPAA Security Rule risk assessments and remediation plans
Help clients meet federal audit requirements and documentation standards
Deliver breach response planning and incident documentation services
How MSPs and MSSPs Can Comply with
HIPAA and Help Clients Do the Same
Cynomi guides you step by step through managing cybersecurity and compliance.
Assess & Identify
Launch HIPAA-Aligned Security Risk Assessments
- Conduct assessments mapped to administrative, physical, and technical safeguards
- Identify risks to ePHI and auto-generate gap analyses
- Create risk registers tailored to client roles (covered entity or business associate)
Establish and Plan
Build HIPAA-Compliant Security Programs
- Auto-generate HIPAA-required policies, procedures, and implementation plans
- Assign and track tasks related to access control, encryption, and audit readiness
- Align controls to OCR guidance and enforcement expectations
Assess & Identify
Maintain Ongoing HIPAA Compliance and Audit Readiness
- Track remediation progress across client sites and systems
- Maintain documentation for potential OCR or third-party audits
- Update policies and safeguards in line with changing technologies and risks
Framework FAQs
HIPAA compliance involves implementing administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), along with required privacy and breach notification processes.
Any third-party service provider—including MSPs and MSSPs—that accesses, stores, or processes ePHI on behalf of a covered entity is considered a business associate and must comply with HIPAA.
No. There is no official government-issued HIPAA certification. Compliance is demonstrated through documentation, risk assessments, and adherence to required safeguards.
HIPAA violations can result in penalties ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation, up to $1.5 million per year, along with reputational and contractual impacts.
Cynomi automates HIPAA Security Rule assessments, generates policies and procedures, tracks remediation tasks, and maintains audit-ready documentation—making it easier for MSPs to manage healthcare client compliance at scale.