Ensuring Data Security and Compliance: HIPAA & GDPR with Formify Online Forms

Last Updated: 2025-05-16

In an era where data privacy is paramount, choosing an online form builder that prioritizes security and compliance is crucial, especially when handling sensitive information. Formify is designed to help you create online forms that are not only powerful and user-friendly but also align with stringent data protection regulations like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This guide explores how Formify can be your partner in creating secure online forms.

Why Security & Compliance Matter for Your Online Forms

Whether you're in healthcare collecting patient information, a B2C company gathering customer data, or an HR department managing employee details, the way you collect data online is under scrutiny. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines, loss of trust, and reputational damage. Using a secure form builder is the first step towards mitigating these risks.

Key considerations include:

  • Data Encryption: Ensuring data is protected both in transit (HTTPS/SSL) and at rest.
  • Access Controls: Limiting who can access submitted data.
  • Audit Trails: Keeping records of data access and changes (often an Enterprise feature).
  • Data Processing Agreements (DPAs): Necessary for GDPR compliance when using third-party services.
  • Specific Regulatory Needs: Such as Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) for HIPAA.

Formify's Commitment to Secure Data Collection

Formify implements robust security measures across its platform. While specific compliance levels like HIPAA often require an Enterprise plan, our core platform provides a strong security foundation for all users.

1. Data Encryption

  • In Transit: All data submitted through Formify forms is protected with HTTPS/SSL encryption by default. This ensures that information exchanged between the user's browser and our servers is secure from eavesdropping.
  • At Rest: We employ encryption for data stored in our databases, adding an essential layer of protection for the information you collect. (Details available in our Security Policy or by contacting support).

2. GDPR Compliance Features

Formify is committed to GDPR compliance. We provide tools and practices to help you meet your GDPR obligations when using our GDPR compliant forms:

  • Data Processing Addendum (DPA): Available for users who require it.
  • Consent Management: Our forms allow you to easily add consent checkboxes and clear privacy policy links.
  • Data Subject Rights: We support your ability to respond to data subject requests (e.g., access, rectification, erasure) by allowing you to manage and export submission data.
  • Data Minimization: Create forms that only collect necessary data, a core principle of GDPR.

For more details, please review our Privacy Policy.

3. HIPAA Compliance with Formify (Enterprise Plan)

For organizations covered by HIPAA, such as healthcare providers, Formify offers an Enterprise plan designed to meet the specific requirements for handling Protected Health Information (PHI).

  • Business Associate Agreement (BAA): We will sign a BAA with customers on our Enterprise plan.
  • Enhanced Security Controls: The Enterprise plan includes additional security features and configurations necessary for HIPAA compliance.
  • Secure Form Builder for Healthcare: Create patient intake forms, medical history forms, and other healthcare-related digital forms with confidence.

If you require HIPAA compliance, please contact our sales team to discuss our Enterprise solutions.

Best Practices for Creating Secure & Compliant Online Forms with Formify

  1. Collect Only Necessary Data: Minimize the data you collect to what is strictly required for your purpose.
  2. Be Transparent: Clearly explain in your form or linked privacy policy why you are collecting the data and how it will be used.
  3. Obtain Explicit Consent: For marketing communications or sensitive data, always get explicit consent. Use checkbox fields for this.
  4. Securely Manage Access: Utilize Formify's features (especially on higher-tier plans like Business or Enterprise) for role-based access control if managing forms as a team.
  5. Regularly Review Submissions: Download and securely store or delete submission data from Formify according to your data retention policies. Formify provides export options (CSV, Excel on all plans; PDF on Pro+).
  6. Use Strong Passwords & 2FA: Secure your Formify account with a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication if available.
  7. Review Integrations: When using integrations (e.g., Google Sheets, Zapier), ensure the third-party services also meet your security and compliance standards. Understand what data is being transferred and how it's protected by the integrated service. Formify offers integrations like Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, Telegram, and Zapier (availability varies by plan, see our Integrations Guide and Pricing Page).

Formify Features Supporting Security & Compliance:

  • AI Form Generation (All Plans): Quickly create a base for your forms, then customize for compliance.
  • Customizable Success Pages (Starter Plan & above): Provide clear post-submission information.
  • Conditional Logic (Pro Plan & above): Show/hide fields based on user input, helping to only collect relevant data.
  • File Uploads (Starter Plan & above): With configurable size limits (Starter: 25MB, Pro: 100MB, Business: 250MB per file). Ensure you have processes for handling sensitive files securely.
  • Audit Logs (Typically Enterprise): For tracking changes and access to forms and data.
  • Dedicated Support: Our team is available to answer your questions about security and compliance features.

Conclusion

Formify provides a robust platform to create online forms with security and compliance in mind. From general best practices supported on all plans to specific HIPAA-compliant features on our Enterprise plan, we aim to empower you to collect data online responsibly.

Ready to build secure and compliant forms? Explore Formify Features | View Pricing & Plans | Contact Us for Enterprise Solutions