• You've got a new sheriff in town for HIPAA enforcement. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is handing over the administration and enforcement of the Security Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to the HHS Office for Civil Rights. CMS formerly oversaw enforcement of the rule. The Security Rule specifies a series of administrative, technical, and physical security procedures for covered entities to use to assure the confidentiality of electronic- protected health information.