HIPAA 2026: Compliance or Consequences by HIPAA Vault

The clock is ticking for healthcare IT teams. A new HIPAA rule is set to go live in early 2026, and it’s not just a compliance update—it’s a full-on cybersecurity overhaul. The days of “addressable” safeguards are numbered. Now, organizations must implement four mandatory technical measures:
✔ MFA
✔ Encryption (at rest and in transit)
✔ Annual penetration testing
✔ Biannual vulnerability scanning

And if that wasn’t enough, systems must also be restorable within 72 hours of a breach.

Small clinics won’t get a pass either. As Gil Vidals, CTO of HIPAA Vault, put it:
“We don't care if you have 10 employees or 10,000—you've got to do this.”

The rule also introduces strict documentation and vendor verification requirements, turning HIPAA compliance into a technical sprint.
Six months might not be enough—start now or scramble later.

► Want the full breakdown?
Watch or listen to the complete episode of The HIPAA Insider Show where Gil Vidals dives deeper into what IT teams need to do now to prepare for 2026.
You can catch the full episode on Spotify and YouTube—just search for HIPAA Insider Show.

🎧 Listen on Spotify
📺 Watch on YouTube

Stay informed. Stay compliant. Start now.

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HIPAA compliance meets cloud flexibility

Google Cloud is fast, flexible, and scalable — but not automatically HIPAA-compliant.
That’s where HIPAA Vault comes in. We deliver a fully managed Google Cloud environment that’s configured for HIPAA from day one, with usage-based pricing and round-the-clock expert support.

No guessing. No DIY compliance. Just secure infrastructure that grows with your healthcare SaaS, AI/ML models, or analytics platform — and keeps you audit-ready at all times.

✓ Pay only for what you use
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 Talk to a HIPAA Cloud Expert | 📄 Request Pricing  | (760) 290-3460

Industry News Roundup

If you thought filing taxes was stressful, wait until you’re leading an IT team with six months to overhaul your entire cybersecurity infrastructure—or risk noncompliance. In today’s issue, we’re diving into HIPAA’s 2026 mandates, a university data breach that’s practically a case study in slow-motion disaster, and why “addressable” security controls are about to be a thing of the past.

Whether you're patching servers or chasing down penetration test quotes, we’ve got what you need to stay ahead.

Monroe U’s Mega Breach

Monroe University is schooling the cybersecurity world on what not to do. More than a year after hackers infiltrated its network in December 2024, the for-profit institution finally confirmed that nearly 321,000 individuals had their sensitive data swiped—everything from Social Security numbers and medical info to student records and passport details.

Despite detecting the breach on Dec. 23, 2024, it took Monroe nine months just to assess the damage and over a year to notify those affected. The kicker? No credit monitoring services were offered, even though the stolen info is prime bait for identity theft.

Zoom out:
Universities continue to be a hacker favorite, with recent attacks also hitting Harvard and Columbia. Institutions are goldmines of sensitive data—but many are operating with bronze-level security.

► Learn more and protect yourself: Read the full HIPAA Journal breakdown of the Monroe University breach — including what data was exposed and what steps you should take next. Stay informed, stay secure.

Built for healthcare teams that can’t afford missteps

HIPAA Vault handles the infrastructure, security, and compliance — so you can focus on building. Fully managed. Fully compliant. Always on.

Ready to talk? Schedule your free consult today.