U.S. HICP (Large Practice)

Why it Matters

HICP (Large Practice) provides cybersecurity practices tailored to healthcare organizations, helping to mitigate evolving cyber threats and regulatory risks.

Key benefits include:

• Support compliance obligations

Help organizations address HIPAA and regulatory mandates by aligning technical and administrative controls with best practices.

• Enhance threat detection and response

Enable prompt identification and remediation of cyber incidents to minimize the impact of ransomware and other threats.

• Strengthen data protection measures

Reduce the risk of unauthorized access and breaches involving protected health information through security guidelines.

• Promote operational continuity

Mitigate risks to clinical operations by improving preparedness and recovery capabilities during cyber incidents or disruptions.

• Increase audit readiness

Provide a clear framework for documenting security efforts, supporting successful compliance assessments and external audits.

How it Works

The U.S. Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP) framework for Large Practices structures its guidance around five key cybersecurity threats facing healthcare organizations: e-mail phishing, ransomware, loss or theft of equipment, insider accidental or malicious data loss, and attacks against network-connected medical devices. HICP organizes mitigation recommendations into ten cybersecurity practice areas, mapping these to specific technical and organizational safeguards relevant for large healthcare settings.

Organizations implement U.S. HICP (Large Practice) by adopting security controls and policies aligned with the ten identified cybersecurity practices. Typical implementation activities include performing risk assessments to determine threat relevance, customizing recommended safeguards to local environments, training workforce members on identified threats, and integrating HICP recommendations into existing compliance and risk management programs. Regular monitoring, incident response exercises, and ongoing refinement of safeguards underpin effective, practical adoption.

SmartSuite enables healthcare organizations to operationalize U.S.HICP by providing control libraries mapped to HICP practices, centralizing risk registers, and automating evidence collection for audit readiness. Policy governance modules support the development, review, and dissemination of HICP-aligned procedures, while compliance tracking and remediation workflows assist in demonstrating ongoing adherence and addressing gaps. Reporting dashboards offer a consolidated view of security posture and regulatory compliance status.

Key Elements

• Cybersecurity Practice Categories

Organizes security measures into device security, identity protection, network management, and data protection areas.

• Threat and Vulnerability Safeguards

Specifies controls and strategies for recognizing, evaluating, and addressing malicious activities and technical weaknesses.

• Workforce Cybersecurity Awareness

Establishes expectations for staff education and regular training on cybersecurity responsibilities and best practices.

• Incident Response Management

Describes required procedures for early detection, communication, and mitigation of security incidents and breaches.

• Medical Device Security Controls

Outlines safeguards specifically for protecting networked medical equipment and supporting clinical infrastructure.

• Access and Authentication Management

Defines methods for ensuring authorized access to sensitive systems, applications, and medical information.

• Governance Structure and Accountability

Provides a framework for leadership oversight, policy development, and ongoing compliance evaluation.

Framework Scope

U.S. HICP (Large Practice) is adopted by large healthcare providers, hospitals, and healthcare delivery organizations responsible for protecting electronic health information and clinical systems. It governs cybersecurity practices across patient data systems, medical devices, and supporting infrastructure, and is typically implemented to enhance cyber risk management, fulfill regulatory obligations, and support assurance programs.

Framework Objectives

U.S. HICP (Large Practice) promotes a structured approach to managing cybersecurity risks in large healthcare organizations.

Strengthen cybersecurity governance and oversight across clinical and operational environments

Enhance healthcare data protection and privacy safeguards to reduce breach risks

Support compliance with regulatory requirements by applying security controls

Improve risk management practices to address evolving healthcare cyber threats

Enable operational resilience to minimize disruptions and maintain patient care

Demonstrate audit readiness through consistent implementation of cybersecurity best practices HICP (Large Practice) aligns with NIST Cybersecurity Framework, HIPAA Security Rule, and HITRUST CSF,providing tailored cybersecurity practices for healthcare entities. Large healthcare organizations implement HICP to enhance cybersecurity resilience, support HIPAA compliance, and align with industry best practices, especially for addressing regulatory requirements and improving operational security posture.

Framework in Context

HICP (Large Practice) aligns with NIST Cybersecurity Framework, HIPAA Security Rule, and HITRUST CSF, providing tailored cybersecurity practices for healthcare entities. Large healthcare organizations implement HICP to enhance cybersecurity resilience, support HIPAA compliance, and align with industry best practices, especially for addressing regulatory requirements and improving operational security posture.

Common Framework Mappings

HICP (Large Practice) is often mapped to other widely adopted cybersecurity and privacy frameworks to simplify compliance, strengthen risk management, and facilitate regulatory crosswalks within healthcare organizations.

Mapped frameworks include:

CIS Critical Security Controls

COBIT

HITRUST CSF

ISO/IEC 27001

NIST Cybersecurity Framework

NIST SP 800-53

PCI DSS

SOC 2

StateRAMP

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