HIPAA is a U.S. regulation focused on protecting the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). In relation to encryption, HIPAA’s Security Rule requires covered entities and business associates to implement appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic PHI. Encryption is widely recognized as a key technical safeguard for confidentiality—protecting PHI in transit (e.g., over networks) and at rest (e.g., on storage devices) by making data unreadable without the proper keys. HIPAA does not standardize encryption across all industries, nor does it prohibit electronic health records; it regulates how they must be protected. While HIPAA often uses the term “addressable” for encryption controls (meaning organizations must implement it if reasonable and appropriate, or document an equivalent alternative), the overarching purpose remains protection of patient information through secure measures, with encryption as a central mechanism. Therefore, the best answer is ensuring confidentiality of patient information through secure measures like encryption.