U.S. HICP (Small Practice) — Health Industry Cybersecurity Practice

Overview

U.S. HICP (SmallPractice) — Health Industry Cybersecurity Practice is acybersecurity guideline developed to help small healthcareorganizations identify and mitigate the most common cyber threatsfacing the healthcare sector. The framework provides practical,industry-tailored recommendations for improving data protection andreducing cybersecurity risks specific to smaller medical practices.

Developed by theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in collaborationwith industry stakeholders, HICP targets healthcare providers andtheir support organizations who require scalable and actionablesecurity measures. It focuses on key areas such as phishing,ransomware, loss or theft of devices, insider threats, and themanagement of medical devices.

Healthcareorganizations typically implement HICP (Small Practice) by adoptingits recommended security controls, updating internal policies,training staff, and enhancing incident response procedures. Theframework supports HIPAA compliance efforts and complements otherregulatory requirements, while strengthening risk management andcybersecurity governance in small practice environments.

Why it Matters

U.S. HICP (SmallPractice) provides actionable cybersecurity guidance tailored to theunique needs and resource constraints of small healthcareorganizations.

Key benefitsinclude:

•  Strengthen security governance

Establish clearsecurity roles, responsibilities, and oversight to improveorganizational risk management and accountability.

•  Enhance regulatory support

Align internalsecurity practices with HIPAA and other health sector regulations,reducing gaps during compliance assessments.

•  Protect health data and systems

Implementtargeted controls to safeguard electronic health records, medicaldevices, and networks from unauthorized access and breaches.

•  Promote workforce cyber awareness

Support ongoingstaff training to help reduce human error and improve detection ofcommon attacks like phishing and ransomware.

•  Increase incident response readiness

Enable smallpractices to respond swiftly to security incidents, minimizingpotential disruption and ensuring continued patient care.

How it Works

The U.S. HealthIndustry Cybersecurity Practice (HICP) framework for Small Practicesis structured around key cybersecurity and privacy threats facinghealthcare organizations. It organizes its guidance into foundationalcybersecurity safeguards and addresses the most common attack vectorsthrough a set of ten Primary Cybersecurity Practices. These practicesare further grouped into highly actionable Technical andNon-Technical Cybersecurity Practices, which together serve as acontrol catalog for establishing a baseline level of security insmall healthcare settings. The framework is designed to addressregulatory requirements, risk management, and industry best practicesin a streamlined format suitable for resource-limited environments.

In practicalterms, healthcare organizations implement the HICP framework byprioritizing security controls according to the recommendedpractices, conducting periodic risk assessments, and aligning theirpolicies and procedures to mitigate the specific risks identified inthe guidance. Typical activities include improving endpointprotection, managing user access, increasing staff awareness throughsecurity training, and establishing incident response workflows. Byfollowing the framework’s structured practices, organizationsenhance compliance with HIPAA and other relevant regulations whilemaintaining a robust security posture.

SmartSuitesupports HICP adoption by offering predefined control libraries thatcorrespond to the framework’s safeguards, along with risk registersfor documenting and tracking associated risks. Organizations leveragepolicy governance features to formalize procedures, use evidencecollection tools for compliance monitoring, and enable remediationworkflows to address identified gaps. Reporting dashboards provideat-a-glance visibility into framework adoption, compliance status,and the effectiveness of implemented security practices.

Key Elements

•  Cybersecurity Threat Categories

Structurescommon threat vectors including phishing, ransomware, and device lossfor targeted risk mitigation.

•  Security Control Families

Organizesrecommended technical and administrative safeguards into logicaldomains suited to small healthcare practices.

•  Device and Data Management

Describesprocedures for protecting electronic health records, medical devices,and internal systems from unauthorized access or loss.

•  User Education and Awareness

Specifiesinformation security training requirements and policies to addresshuman factors in cybersecurity.

•  Incident Response Processes

Definesprotocols for detecting, reporting, and responding to cybersecurityevents within healthcare environments.

•  Governance and Compliance Alignment

Establishesintegration of regulatory requirements, oversight responsibilities,and ongoing risk management practices.

Framework Scope

U.S. HICP (SmallPractice) is adopted by small healthcare organizations and theirsupporting service providers seeking tailored cybersecurity guidance.The framework governs electronic health records, medical devices, andinternal networks, and is typically implemented when improving dataprotection, managing cyber risks, and supporting cybersecurity andcompliance programs tailored to smaller healthcare environments.

Framework Objectives

U.S. HICP (SmallPractice) provides guidance to strengthen cybersecurity and riskmanagement in healthcare organizations.

•  Protect patient data by establishing robust security controlsand safeguards

•  Enhance regulatory compliance with HIPAA and other dataprotection requirements

•  Strengthen governance and oversight of cybersecurity risk acrossall operations

•  Improve operational resilience against common cyber threatsfacing healthcare practices

•  Support audit readiness through consistent application ofsecurity policies and procedures

•  Promote a culture of proactive cybersecurity awareness and riskmanagement The U.S. HICP (Small Practice) framework providespractical cybersecurity guidance tailored for small healthcareorganizations and aligns with key requirements from HIPAA, NISTCybersecurity Framework, and CIS Controls. It is typicallyimplemented to enhance operational security, meet regulatorycompliance, and reduce cyber risk in healthcare environments withlimited resources.

Common Framework Mappings

U.S. HICP (SmallPractice) is often aligned with other cybersecurity and healthcarecompliance frameworks to strengthen security practices, streamlineregulatory requirements, and facilitate risk management for smallhealthcare organizations.

Mappedframeworks include:

CIS CriticalSecurity Controls

HIPAA SecurityRule

HITRUST CSF

ISO/IEC 27001

NISTCybersecurity Framework (CSF)

NIST SP 800-171

NIST SP 800-53

PCI DSS