HIPAA Security Officer
The workforce member designated under 45 CFR 164.308(a)(2) to be responsible for the development and implementation of HIPAA security policies.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Compliance Program
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
- compliance binder →
Where this comes up
Compliance committees and practice managers operate at this level — written policy, workforce training, sanction policy, monitoring and auditing cadence, response and corrective action. The seven elements of an effective compliance program (OIG) are the scaffolding; this term lives somewhere on that scaffold.
Full definition
What it is in practice
45 CFR 164.308(a)(2) requires every covered entity to identify a Security Officer. Smaller practices typically combine the role with the privacy officer.
How it shows up in your practice
The security officer owns the Security Risk Analysis and the management plan that flows from it.
Sources
- 45 CFR 164.308 — Administrative safeguardshttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.308
Document the security officer role in the Compliance Binder
Open compliance binder →Related terms
- Compliance ProgramHIPAA Privacy OfficerThe workforce member designated under 45 CFR 164.530(a)(1)(i) to be responsible for the development and implementation of HIPAA privacy policies.
- SecuritySecurity Risk AnalysisThe accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI required by the HIPAA Security Rule.
- Compliance ProgramCompliance OfficerThe designated individual responsible for operating the practice's compliance program.
- HIPAA & PrivacyHIPAA Security RuleThe federal regulation at 45 CFR Part 164 Subpart C that requires safeguards for ePHI.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryHIPAA Security RuleThe federal regulation at 45 CFR Part 164 Subpart C that requires safeguards for ePHI.
- GlossarySecurity Risk AnalysisThe accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI required by the HIPAA Security Rule.
- GlossaryHIPAA Privacy OfficerThe workforce member designated under 45 CFR 164.530(a)(1)(i) to be responsible for the development and implementation of HIPAA privacy policies.
- GlossaryCompliance OfficerThe designated individual responsible for operating the practice's compliance program.
- GlossaryAdministrative SafeguardsPolicies and procedures designed to manage the selection, development, implementation, and maintenance of security measures protecting ePHI.
- ComplianceHIPAA Security Officer: Required Duties + Job Description TemplateRequired duties under 45 CFR 164.308(a)(2), a copy-ready 2026 HIPAA Security Officer job description, and what we see fail in practice.
- BillingWhat to Do When a Payer Says You're UnderbillingGot a letter saying you're underbilling? Here's what it actually means, whether you should worry, and what action to take.
- SRAHIPAA Security Rule vs Privacy Rule: A Plain-English MapWhat the Security Rule at 45 CFR Part 164 Subpart C does, what the Privacy Rule at Subpart E does, where they overlap, and which rule the SRA actually answers to.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.