Enhancing EHR Security: Best Practices for Protecting Patient Data

In the digital healthcare landscape, electronic health records (EHRs) are foundational to patient care, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. While the shift to digital has unlocked new capabilities, it has also introduced heightened risks. EHRs contain highly sensitive personal and medical information, making them prime targets for cyberattacks. Tech security professionals and practitioners must therefore adopt a comprehensive approach to safeguard these systems. Web-based EHR systems, in particular, require ongoing vigilance and strategic planning to remain secure against evolving threats. With the right protocols in place, organizations can uphold the confidentiality, integrity and availability of patient data. 

1. Implement Robust Access Control

One of the most fundamental pillars of EHR security is access control. Unauthorized access — whether from external threats or internal misuse — can lead to data breaches, HIPAA violations and reputational damage. 

Best Practices: 

• Role-based access control (RBAC): Restrict data access based on job responsibilities. For example, billing personnel should not have access to full patient medical histories. 

• Multifactor authentication (MFA): Requires users to verify their identity using two or more methods (e.g., password and biometric or device-based token). 

• Audit trails: Monitor and log every access to EHR systems to detect suspicious behavior and enforce accountability. 

• Automatic session timeouts: Minimize the risk of unauthorized access from unattended workstations by implementing session expiration features. 

2. Encrypt Data in Transit and at Rest

Encryption is essential to protect patient data from interception and unauthorized access, especially in EHR systems that transmit data across networks. By encrypting data, even if a breach occurs, the information remains unintelligible to unauthorized users, reducing the risk of patient harm and liability. 

Best Practices: 

• End-to-end encryption: Ensure data is encrypted both when stored on servers and during transmission across networks. 

• Secure HTTPS protocols: All web-based EHR platforms must use SSL/TLS encryption to protect browser-based sessions. 

• Encryption key management: Maintain tight control over encryption keys through secure generation, distribution and storage policies. 

3. Ensure Regulatory Compliance

Security professionals must be well-versed in relevant regulations, particularly the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which establishes baseline requirements for EHR security. Meeting regulatory requirements is not just about avoiding fines — it’s about fostering trust with patients and stakeholders by demonstrating a commitment to privacy and ethical data management. 

Best Practices: 

• Conduct regular risk assessments: Identify vulnerabilities, evaluate potential threats and implement mitigation strategies. 

• Develop and maintain a security management plan: This should include policies for access control, data encryption, incident response and regular audits. 

• Work with certified vendors: Ensure that any third-party web-based EHR systems meet HIPAA and other applicable standards. 

• Employee training: Ensure all staff, especially those handling patient information, are trained in security protocols and HIPAA compliance. 

4. Secure the EHR Infrastructure

The underlying infrastructure of EHR systems must also be fortified against threats, including vulnerabilities in software, hardware and cloud environments. Infrastructure-level security provides the foundation for all other protective measures, ensuring that even sophisticated attacks encounter multiple layers of defense. 

Best Practices: 

• Apply regular updates and patches: Many cyberattacks exploit known software vulnerabilities that could be prevented with timely updates. 

• Isolate sensitive systems: Use network segmentation to separate EHR systems from less secure parts of the IT environment. 

• Cloud security controls: For web EHR systems hosted in the cloud, implement security measures such as virtual private clouds (VPCs), firewall configurations and intrusion detection systems. 

• Backup and disaster recovery plans: Maintain encrypted, regularly tested backups in case of ransomware attacks or data loss events. 

5. Monitor Threats and Respond Quickly

Prevention is critical, but so is detection and response. Real-time monitoring allows organizations to spot anomalies and intervene before significant damage occurs. Infrastructure-level security provides the foundation for all other protective measures, ensuring that even sophisticated attacks encounter multiple layers of defense. 

Best Practices: 

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Implement SIEM tools to aggregate and analyze logs for signs of suspicious activity. 

• Endpoint detection and response (EDR): Monitor devices accessing EHRs to detect malware, unauthorized access, or exfiltration attempts. 

• Incident response plans: Have a clear, rehearsed plan for responding to data breaches, including containment, investigation, notification and recovery. 

• Threat intelligence feeds: Stay informed on the latest vulnerabilities and attack vectors relevant to healthcare and EHR systems. 

A Proactive Security Strategy for Patient Trust 

Securing EHR systems is more than a technical challenge — it’s a responsibility to patients and the broader healthcare system. With web-based EHR systems, where accessibility and convenience are paramount, ensuring robust security must be part of every decision, from infrastructure planning to daily operations. 

By following these best practices — strong access control, encryption, compliance adherence, infrastructure hardening and proactive threat monitoring — tech security professionals can create a resilient framework for EHR protection. The result is not just regulatory compliance, but a stronger foundation of patient trust, operational continuity and long-term risk reduction. 

As cyberthreats grow more sophisticated, the stakes continue to rise. Investing in EHR security today is an investment in the safety and integrity of tomorrow’s healthcare system.