Which compliance mandate must a cloud provider meet for handling medical records?

The compliance mandate that a cloud provider must meet for handling medical records is HIPAA, which stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA is a U.S. federal law designed to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. It establishes standards for safeguarding personal health information (PHI) in healthcare settings, which includes regulations for data security, privacy, and the handling of medical records by healthcare providers, insurers, and their business associates, including cloud service providers.

Meeting HIPAA compliance ensures that cloud providers implement necessary safeguards to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of medical records. This is critical given the sensitive nature of the information being handled and the potential consequences of data breaches, which can include severe penalties, legal liabilities, and loss of trust from patients.

The other options do not relate specifically to the handling of medical records: SOC 3 pertains to general data security audits, the MPAA is related to the motion picture industry and copyright protections, and ISA 2701 is not a recognized compliance standard for healthcare data protection.