1.1 This guide covers mechanisms that can be used to protect healthcare information which is being transmitted over networks using the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS). This includes the actual Internet itself, as well as corporate intranets constructed from off-the-shelf components implementing these protocols. An organization's security policy will determine when these mechanisms are used, based on risk analysis.

1.2 The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is defining security standards for use with the IPS. This guide covers the relevant standards and recommends, where needed, particular options (such as cryptographic transformations) to be used with the standards. Most standards referenced here are proposed standards issues as Request for Comments (RFC's). Some are in the draft stage, but are stable enough (and widely enough implemented) to be recommended for use at this time.