Executive Summary

Healthcare organizations are under strict compliance to HIPPA privacy requirements which require that an organization have proper security controls for handling personal healthcare information (PHI) privacy data. This includes security controls for the IT infrastructure while handling PHI. Many networks ran by public and private organizations have experienced intrusions in recent years, and this cyber exploitation has resulted in an unprecedented loss in private data. The threats to our networks and systems exist across numerous components that include end user devices, servers, and infrastructure devices. This summary is to examine the threats to routers and other network infrastructure devices in a Lan-to-Wan domain while considering HIPAA rules and regulations. There are key points to understand when trying to establish network security, those basic points are; * Protect Confidentiality * Maintain Integrity * Ensure Availability

It is also imperative to keep in mind that all networks need to be protected from threats and vulnerabilities for a business to achieve its fullest potential. The most common threats and vulnerabilities are some of the following; * End-user carelessness * Misconfigured hardware and/or software * Intentional end-user acts (i.e. A disgruntled employee)

Now, to fully understand what HIPAA is. HIPAA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that was passed by Congress in 1996. HIPAA provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of Americans and their families. It also reduces health care fraud and abuse, mandates industry-wide standards for health care information and electronic billing and other processes, and requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information. Considering we have a