HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations require that all systems storing or accessing electronic protected health information (ePHI) use operating systems that are actively maintained and updated by their software vendor. This ensures that any vulnerabilities that could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to patient data are addressed in a timely manner.
Microsoft’s support lifecycle directly affects the HIPAA compliance status of a Windows operating system. If Microsoft no longer provides security updates, bug fixes, or technical support, then that version of Windows is considered non-compliant under HIPAA standards.
This article outlines which Windows versions are currently HIPAA-compliant and provides guidance for upgrading your systems to maintain compliance.
To be HIPAA compliant, an operating system must:
Be actively supported by the manufacturer (i.e., Microsoft)
Receive ongoing security updates and critical patches
Be configured securely in accordance with industry best practices
Operating systems that are past their End of Support (EoS) date no longer receive updates and are therefore non-compliant, regardless of antivirus protection or firewall settings.
The following Windows versions are no longer supported and not HIPAA compliant:
Operating System |
End of Support Date |
HIPAA Status |
|
Windows XP |
April 8, 2014 |
❌ Not Compliant |
|
Windows Vista |
April 11, 2017 |
❌ Not Compliant |
|
Windows 7 |
January 14, 2020 |
❌ Not Compliant |
|
Windows 8 |
January 12, 2016 |
❌ Not Compliant |
|
Windows 8.1 |
January 10, 2023 |
❌ Not Compliant |
If you are still running any of these operating systems, you must upgrade your device to continue accessing ICANotes and remain HIPAA compliant.
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