The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule is a regulation developed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect the privacy and security of specific medical information. This rule establishes security standards for the protection of protected health information that is in electronic format. Below is a summary of the critical elements of the HIPAA Security Rule, including who is covered, what information is protected, and what safeguards must be in place to ensure adequate protection of electronically protected health information.