What Healthcare Offices Need to Know About HIPAA and Cybersecurity in 2025
HIPAA compliance might not be the most thrilling part of running a healthcare practice, but it’s definitely one of the most important — especially as cyber threats keep getting more sophisticated. And in 2025, healthcare providers in Omaha (big or small) are squarely in the crosshairs of cybercriminals looking for easy wins.
We’ve worked with local clinics that had no idea a single outdated PC or a weak Wi-Fi password could cause a data breach. But that’s the reality. HIPAA rules are no longer just about locking filing cabinets or using complex passwords — they now expect a full approach to cybersecurity, including everything from encrypted emails to up-to-date hardware.
Here are some of the big things that matter this year:
Use encrypted email and secure portals when sharing patient info.
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts — especially those with access to patient data
Stay on top of device updates and patching, even for that one dusty front desk computer
Have a plan for incident response in case something does go wrong:
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/data-breach-response-guide-businessDon’t forget about employee training — most breaches happen because of human error:
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/security/guidance/index.html
You don’t need a giant IT department to handle this stuff. But having a strategy — even a simple one — can go a long way toward protecting your patients and your practice. Plus, it beats trying to explain to your patients why their medical history got emailed to a hacker in another time zone.
So if your clinic hasn’t reviewed its cybersecurity plan since pre-pandemic times, 2025 is a good time to sit down and do that. The HIPAA rules aren’t going anywhere, and neither are the hackers.