Which of the following is NOT a safeguard required by the Security Rule?

The correct response identifies financial safeguards as not being a requirement under the Security Rule. The Security Rule, a component of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), outlines specific safeguards designed to protect electronic protected health information (ePHI).

Administrative safeguards refer to policies and procedures to manage the selection, development, implementation, and maintenance of security measures to protect ePHI. This includes workforce training and information access controls.

Physical safeguards are protective measures that involve securing the physical facilities and equipment that store ePHI. This includes access controls to facilities and equipment, as well as protocols for securing hardware.

Technical safeguards involve technology and the associated policies and procedures for its use. This includes access controls, audit controls to record and examine access to ePHI, and data encryption.

In contrast, financial safeguards, while important in a broader context of organizational policies or regulatory frameworks, are not specified as a requirement within the Security Rule. Hence, the absence of financial safeguards in the list of required protections under the Security Rule is why this choice is correct.