Threat Source
Any circumstance or event with potential to adversely impact organizational operations, assets, individuals, or the nation through unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, or modification of information.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Security
- Primary sources
- 2
- Workspace handoff
- sra studio →
Where this comes up
This sits inside the security risk analysis under 45 CFR 164.308(a)(1)(ii)(A) — workstation controls, EHR access roles, ePHI transmission encryption, audit logging, vendor risk, and incident response. Reviewers expect dated evidence of the control, not a policy PDF that says it exists.
Full definition
What it is in practice
NIST SP 800-30 defines threat sources (adversarial, accidental, structural, environmental) and threat events. The HIPAA risk-analysis process names threats explicitly as one of the inputs.
How it shows up in your practice
When scoping your SRA, enumerate threat sources realistically for your size: phishing actors, opportunistic ransomware, lost devices, snooping insiders, vendor incidents, environmental (fire/flood).
Sources
- NIST SP 800-30 — Guide for Conducting Risk Assessmentshttps://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/30/r1/final
- NIST SP 800-66 Rev. 2 — HIPAA Security Rule Implementation Guidehttps://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/66/r2/final
Catalog threat sources in SRA Studio
Open sra studio →Related terms
- 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.
- SecurityVulnerability AssessmentThe systematic examination of an information system to determine the adequacy of security measures, identify deficiencies, and provide data from which to predict the effectiveness of proposed security measures.
- SecurityRisk RegisterA living document that records identified risks, their likelihood and impact ratings, owners, and remediation status.
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
- GlossaryRisk RegisterA living document that records identified risks, their likelihood and impact ratings, owners, and remediation status.
- 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.
- GlossaryVulnerability AssessmentThe systematic examination of an information system to determine the adequacy of security measures, identify deficiencies, and provide data from which to predict the effectiveness of proposed security measures.
- GlossaryAccess ControlsTechnical policies and procedures that allow only authorized persons or software programs to access ePHI.
- GlossaryAdministrative SafeguardsPolicies and procedures designed to manage the selection, development, implementation, and maintenance of security measures protecting ePHI.
- ComplianceAnnual HIPAA Training Curriculum (What to Cover + How to Document)A 2026 annual HIPAA training curriculum for small healthcare practices — eight required modules under 45 CFR 164.530(b) and 45 CFR 164.308(a)(5), with documentation templates.
- RegulationNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0The 2024 update to the NIST CSF added the Govern function alongside Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover — providing a common language for organizational cybersecurity risk management.
- SRAHIPAA Contingency Plan for a Small PracticeWhat the Security Rule contingency plan standard at 45 CFR 164.308(a)(7) actually requires, including data backup, disaster recovery, emergency mode operation, and testing — for a small practice.
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.