Is Jira HIPAA Compliant?

Managing protected health information (PHI) in project management tools like Jira requires a clear understanding of Jira HIPAA compliance. While Jira is widely used for agile workflows and development tracking, it was not originally designed with healthcare data security in mind. Ensuring Jira HIPAA compliance depends on implementing the right security configurations, using encryption, and applying third-party solutions that can monitor and remediate PHI exposure in real time. This article explains what’s needed to make Jira HIPAA compliant and how Strac helps bridge critical compliance gaps.

✨Is Jira HIPAA Compliant?

Jira is a project management tool that is widely used across industries, including healthcare. Given its capabilities in managing tasks, projects, and sensitive data, it's critical for healthcare organizations to determine whether Jira is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

The first point to note is that as standard, Jira does not comply with HIPAA standards for the safeguarding of Protected Health Information (PHI). 

However, Jira is configurable to bring its use into compliance with HIPAA. To comply with HIPAA standards, Jira customers must be subscribed to an Enterprise Plan, set up a specific configuration for their Atlassian account, and sign a BAA with Atlassian.

Will Atlassian Sign a BAA Agreement for Jira?

To comply with HIPAA, third-party providers of software must have a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) in place with all healthcare organizations that are classed as HIPAA-covered entities.

Yes — Atlassian does offer the option to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This agreement is crucial as it confirms Atlassian's commitment to meet HIPAA requirements and protect PHI. The BAA covers only the specified Atlassian products that have been deemed HIPAA compliant.

However, signing the BAA does not necessarily ensure your organization’s compliance with HIPAA. Healthcare organizations must also ensure their use of Jira remains compliant, at all times.

Can You Store PHI or Patient Data in Jira?

Storing PHI in Jira is possible, but doing so presents certain risks. 

In 2023, Atlassian announced that Jira could be configured to be HIPAA compliant. This development means that healthcare organizations can store and manage PHI within Jira, provided they follow Atlassian’s guidelines. 

As well as following the Atlassian guidelines, organizations can mitigate the risk of data leaks by ensuring all staff are trained to properly handle sensitive data. Improper handling of protected information within Jira can open your organization up to significant legal and regulatory risks.

✨Can PHI or Patient Data be Leaked from Jira?

Considering Jira’s use as a collaborative project management tool, there is great potential for non-compliant handling of sensitive data. 

Despite the security mechanisms and specific configuration, there is always a risk of data leaks on Jira due to mishandling or user error. It’s crucial that, at a minimum, organizations implement strict access controls across their Jira plan. All third-party applications integrated with Jira must also be configured to run in a HIPAA-compliant manner to prevent unauthorized access.

There are various sources of harmful data leaks, from misconfigured security settings, to accidental/user error or malicious cyber attacks. For these reasons, many organizations opt for additional security mechanisms that ensure full compliance, at all times.

🎥How Can Strac Prevent Data Leaks from Jira?

Strac Jira DLP is a comprehensive data leak prevention solution that safeguards protected health information in Jira. 

Jira DLP automatically detects sensitive messages and files present in Jira issues and comments, and then redacts or allows for manual removal from Jira.

Strac Jira DLP ensures your use of Jira remains secure and fully compliant at all times. 

Here's how:

• Regulatory Compliance: Strac's DLP solutions guarantee compliance with a range of regulatory standards.
• Instantaneous Email Redactions: Strac's DLP quickly identifies and addresses Jira data vulnerabilities in real-time.
• Comprehensive Audit Overviews: Strac simplifies audit logs, documenting every Jira operation thoroughly for transparent governance.
• Effortless Integration: Easily integrate Strac with Jira for enhanced and consistent data protection.
• Specialized Protection Across the Board: Tailored DLP solutions fortify your unique Jira environment, boosting data security.
• AI Integration: Strac extends beyond typical SaaS, Cloud, and Endpoint security by integrating with AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Copilot. This integration improves security for AI or LLM applications and their data. Learn more in Strac's developer documentation.
• Pioneering Data Security Intel: Keep up-to-date with Strac’s cutting-edge data security intelligence, identifying emerging threats and vulnerabilities in Jira.
• Detailed Control & Configuration: Tailor your Jira security settings with ease. Explore Strac’s catalog of sensitive data elements.
• API Capabilities: Strac provides developers with APIs for detecting and redacting sensitive information. Access Strac’s API Docs.

Strac ensures ongoing compliance with HIPAA standards. See our guide to HIPAA Compliance for more details.

Book a free 30-minute demo to learn more.

Bottom Line

Jira HIPAA compliance is achievable when organizations combine Atlassian’s security framework with continuous data protection and automated redaction. Native Jira tools alone cannot detect or remediate PHI exposure; this is where Strac delivers unmatched value. With Strac’s agentless DLP and DSPM, healthcare and life-science teams gain visibility, automated PHI redaction, and real-time remediation across Jira and connected SaaS environments. By unifying discovery, classification, and compliance enforcement, Strac ensures that sensitive data stays protected; and your organization stays HIPAA compliant.

🌶️Spicy FAQs on Jira HIPAA Compliance

1. Is Jira HIPAA compliant out of the box?

Most teams are surprised to learn that Jira isn’t automatically compliant with HIPAA regulations. The platform was designed for agile development and workflow management, not for storing regulated patient data. To make Jira compliant, organizations must apply several technical and administrative safeguards.

Jira Cloud alone doesn’t satisfy HIPAA’s data protection requirements, so encryption, access controls, and audit trails must be properly configured. Atlassian will also require a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for eligible enterprise plans. With these controls in place, Jira can operate safely within a healthcare environment.

2. What are the main HIPAA requirements for using Jira?

Compliance under HIPAA revolves around preventing unauthorized access to Protected Health Information (PHI). Teams must ensure all PHI in Jira is encrypted, traceable, and accessible only to authorized users. The platform should be continuously monitored to identify risks before data exposure occurs.

• Encrypt all data in transit and at rest.
• Restrict PHI access through strong role-based permissions.
• Maintain detailed activity logs for auditing and breach response.
• These actions establish a compliant and accountable Jira workspace.

3. Does Atlassian sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?

A BAA is an essential requirement for any covered entity or business associate under HIPAA. Atlassian offers BAAs, but only for specific Enterprise-grade customers who request them directly. Without this agreement, organizations cannot legally store PHI in Jira Cloud.

This means companies using lower-tier Jira plans or on-premise versions must seek third-party compliance solutions or migrate to an approved plan.

4. How can Strac help make Jira HIPAA compliant?

Strac bridges the compliance gap by protecting PHI directly inside Jira issues, comments, and attachments. Its agentless Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform uses machine learning and OCR to automatically identify and redact sensitive data. This allows teams to continue collaborating without risking data breaches or regulatory violations.

By integrating Strac, healthcare and life-science organizations gain continuous PHI visibility, real-time remediation, and streamlined compliance enforcement across their SaaS ecosystem.

5. What are best practices for maintaining compliance in Jira?

Maintaining Jira HIPAA compliance is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. Organizations must routinely audit their configurations, review access permissions, and train staff on secure data practices. Leveraging automation and DLP tools adds an additional layer of safety against accidental exposure.

Regularly updating Jira’s integrations, enforcing access control policies, and maintaining awareness of new HIPAA requirements ensures the platform stays compliant over time.