HIPAA, established in 1996 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sets federal standards for the protection of protected health information (PHI) and electronic PHI (ePHI), with non-compliance fines reaching up to $1.5 million or more. Companies like PubNub, which provides real-time technology solutions, emphasize HIPAA compliance to ensure the secure transmission of sensitive health data. PubNub offers a range of security features, including encryption and access control, and is the only HIPAA-compliant real-time messaging provider, enabling healthcare applications to focus on innovation without compromising data security. The HIPAA framework includes four main rules: Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification, each outlining various safeguards to protect PHI and ePHI. PubNub has been HIPAA-compliant since 2015 and also ensures compliance with other data privacy laws, underlining the importance of adhering to these standards to protect sensitive health information and avoid substantial penalties.