In the complex landscape of healthcare regulation and information technology, organizations face the challenge of aligning their internal IT controls with both legal requirements and industry best practices. This is particularly crucial for publicly traded companies in the healthcare sector, which must adhere to a stringent set of U.S. laws alongside state-specific regulations. Among these, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act stand out as critical legal frameworks dictating the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of financial and health records.

The Role of Security Frameworks

Security frameworks offer a structured approach to managing IT controls within organizations. While some opt for custom frameworks, many lean towards established, vetted frameworks to guide their compliance efforts. The adoption of such frameworks is essential to meet the obligations set forth by SOX, HIPAA, and HITECH — each serving a unique purpose in the protection and handling of sensitive data.

SOX, for instance, focuses on the integrity of financial records, requiring companies to meticulously track file access and changes, detect security breaches, and report safeguards to auditors. This act emphasizes the need for stringent controls to protect records from unauthorized access and prevent data breaches, including policies for managing user changes and regular data backups with revision history (Sarbanes Oxley).

Choosing the Right Framework: COBIT for SOX Compliance

The Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) framework, developed by ISACA, is particularly favored by publicly traded companies for SOX compliance. Despite its complexity, COBIT addresses the specific IT controls required by SOX, making it a preferred choice for integrating financial processes and IT governance. COBIT’s widespread recognition as an internal control framework to achieve IT SOX compliance underscores its effectiveness in meeting the stringent requirements of this act (COBIT; Granneman).

COBIT and Healthcare Regulations

Beyond SOX, healthcare providers must ensure the security of patient-protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA and HITECH, which govern the safeguards for electronic personal health information (ePHI). COBIT’s controls, including identity management and user account management, align with the security rules of HIPAA, facilitating compliance with these healthcare-specific regulations. This compatibility makes COBIT an attractive choice for healthcare organizations seeking to navigate the audit processes required by HIPAA and SOX smoothly ([Johnson, 2015]).

By implementing COBIT, XYZ Healthcare can strategically plan to meet stakeholder needs while complying with relevant laws. While any security framework can enhance security, COBIT stands out for its specific suitability for meeting SOX requirements, offering a comprehensive strategy for managing the complex regulatory landscape of the healthcare sector.

References

• COBIT® (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology). (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2018, from IT Governance USA
• Freeman, R. (2017, December 13). How to get started with COBIT 5. Retrieved November 25, 2018, from IT Governance Blog
• Granneman, J. (n.d.). IT security frameworks and standards: Choosing the right one. Retrieved November 25, 2018, from TechTarget
• Johnson, R. (2015). Security Policies and Implementation Issues; Second Edition. Jones and Bartlett Learning.
• Sarbanes Oxley. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2018, from Sarbanes Oxley 101