In simple terms, this article covers the details of HITRUST compliance and how it differs from other types of compliance. It also explains HITRUST certification standards, the importance of compliance, and who must adhere to the framework and controls. So by the end of this article, you should better grasp the best practices for obtaining HITRUST certification and how HITRUST compliance may assist your company in decreasing risk, streamlining compliance, and maintaining high data security.
About HITRUST
The Health Information Trust Alliance is abbreviated as HITRUST. It was formed in 2007 and employs the “HITRUST approach” to assist enterprises from all industries, particularly healthcare, in effectively managing data, information risk, and compliance.
The HITRUST Alliance’s HITRUST certification allows vendors and covered entities to certify HIPAA compliance using a standardized framework.
HITRUST was formed to provide a solution for the healthcare industry to address information risk management through a matrix of third-party assurance evaluations to consolidate, lower, and, in some circumstances, eliminate the need for several reports. HITRUST refers to this design aspect as “assess once, report many.”
What Exactly is the HITRUST CSF Certification
HITRUST developed the HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) to give an objective, measurable method of managing the security risks of handling healthcare information and other sensitive data. Organizations can obtain HITRUST CSF certification to verify that specific systems inside their environment meet the framework’s stringent rules and restrictions. Certified HITRUST assessors administer certifications and generate extensive reports to assist organizations in understanding and improving their maturity levels.
As authorized sources, the most recent CSF version (v9.6.0) incorporates 44 significant security and privacy-related standards, policies, and frameworks. It employs a risk-based approach to assisting enterprises in addressing security concerns through prescriptive and scalable security and privacy measures.
Organizations not ready to engage in the time, effort, and cost of the HITRUST CSF Validated Assessment can choose from other assessment services to learn about best practices and implement them.
HITRUST Compliance Best Practices
A solution like HiTRUST CSF isn’t enough to keep cyber assaults at bay. A company that wants to protect sensitive data must regularly assess security risks using the five methods outlined below.
#1. Identify
The initial stage is to identify a computing network’s dangers and weaknesses. A comprehensive risk assessment can determine:
- The network assets that must be safeguarded;
- What information is being obtained;
- The site where sensitive data is stored and moved throughout the network;
- Individuals with access to confidential data, such as service providers and business associates,
#2. Protect
These may include annual employee security awareness training and new employee orientation, as well as administrative and engineering controls such as:
Data encryption at rest and in transit; data lifecycle monitoring; data breach prevention; data backup and recovery; application and network change management controls; software enhancement life cycle; event response and management
#3. Detect
To detect harmful behavior, a company should implement detection tools and processes. These mechanisms are as follows:
User access tests that discover issues with role segregation;
- Anti-malware software that detects and protects against malware.
- A vulnerability management system that scans for vulnerabilities regularly and patches systems as needed.
- Systems for security reporting and event monitoring that can identify hardware and software-generated warnings.
#4. Respond
Organizations must be able to respond quickly in the event of an attack or incident. As a result, having an effective incident plan and individuals versed in their jobs and responsibilities is vital. This response strategy should be evaluated and updated at least once a year. Analyze to ensure adequate reaction times and support for recovery efforts.
#5. Recovery
When cyber attacks occur, an organization’s response must be swift. Business continuity and recovery plans can assist firms in effectively recovering operations. It is best to fine-tune and test such tactics every year.
History of HITRUST
HITRUST was established in 2007 to assist in making information security a pillar of the healthcare business. The HITRUST acronym and meaning are distinct reminders of the organization’s initial focus on healthcare information security. Leaders from primary healthcare providers, insurers, and vendors served on the first Board of Directors.
Although HITRUST remains the gold standard for healthcare compliance, the company has rebranded to reflect its development beyond healthcare. Because of its global expansion and industry-agnostic approach, HITRUST CSF has become one of the world’s most extensively used security and privacy frameworks. Its security strategies and frameworks assist enterprises of all sizes and industries in maintaining the highest level of data security.
The Significance of HITRUST Compliance
Modern healthcare information systems and medical technologies rely heavily on information security. Security frameworks such as HITRUST help safeguard private health information and other sensitive data by making it easier for enterprises to achieve compliance.
HITRUST compliance can assist all enterprises that need to address compliance and risk management. The HITRUST CSF enhances an organization’s security by reducing the complexity, risk, and cost of information security management and compliance. Certification ensures that your security program operates within the confines of its intended design and fulfills HITRUST requirements.
What Are the Advantages of Being HITRUST Certified
#1. Highest Healthcare Data Security Standard
Healthcare payers, as well as an increasing number of health systems and hospitals, are requiring their business associates to be HITRUST-certified. Furthermore, certification demonstrates that the firm is committed to maintaining the most significant degree of consumer healthcare data privacy.
#2. Time- and Money-Saving
Despite the stringency of HITRUST, the organization can respond more thoroughly and quickly following certification, requiring fewer hours of repetitive resources. This can significantly minimize the effort associated with a constant supply of extensive and time-consuming safety questionnaires, a regular characteristic of conducting business as a technology or healthcare company.
Customers of healthcare businesses are aware of the growing threat to safety and information security and are concerned about it. They see the importance of collaborating with firms that understand these emerging dangers and have taken steps to ensure that sensitive data is safeguarded with proper security controls and industry regulatory requirements.
#3. Commercial Benefit
HITRUST certification shows that an organization is a leading security, compliance, and privacy provider since it has the certification to support it. This healthcare reputation and standing distinguishes a company.
Different Types of HITRUST
Aside from the distinctions between self-assessments and validated assessments, companies pursuing HITRUST compliance can now choose from three different HITRUST assessments:
#1. The HITRUST Essentials
1-Year (e1) Assessment + Certification is meant to cover principles of basic cyber hygiene that fulfill the assurance needs of lower-risk companies. The e1 Assessment involves less effort but provides less assurance than the HITRUST i1 and r2 Assessments.
#2. Implemented HITRUST
1-Year (i1) Validated Assessment + Certification: The i1 is a “best practices” assessment recommended for circumstances involving moderate risk. The i1 is a fixed-scope assessment that does not consider scoping considerations. As part of the certification, the i1 mandates using an external assessor organization to undertake an evaluation. The i1 is a new addition to the HITRUST assessment portfolio, released in late 2021 and undergoing its first significant modification in early 2023.
#3. HITRUST Risk-Based
2-Year (r2) Validated Assessment + Certification Previously known as the HITRUST CSF Validated Assessment, which carries the industry jargon of “HITRUST certification,” the r2 is personalized through scope factors. The r2, like the e1 and i1, requires an external assessor organization to complete an assessment as part of certification.
The number of included requirements for the e1 and i1 validated assessments is fixed for all businesses pursuing a particular edition. As part of HITRUST’s commitment to maintaining the threat-adaptive nature of HITRUST assessments, requirements are added and withdrawn to ensure a complete and industry-relevant evaluation.
If HITRUST certification is the organization’s goal, each organization must scope its object (HITRUST assessment) in partnership with its external assessor. Scoping entails completing a series of questions to establish how many controls are in scope for an evaluation. The number of sensitive records stored by an organization, often defined as the number of breach notification letters that would need to be delivered in the case of a catastrophic breach (not discrete bits of data), is the most important driving force in scope. As a preliminary estimate, we notice the following number of control requirements:
- Under 10 million records: 300 control criteria assessed,
- Between 10 and 60 million records: 375+ control needs set;
- Over 60 million records: 450+ requirements considered.
HITRUST Fees and Costs
HITRUST has both direct and indirect costs. The overall cost of HITRUST certification might be high, although it varies for each organization.
Let’s break these costs down.
#1. Direct Expenses
Fees to HITRUST and fees to your assessor are direct charges.
HITRUST rates for a small business can range from a few thousand to $15K, with assessor fees starting at $30,000.
Costs might be higher in large organizations with more risk. Direct costs can reach $175,000 in some cases.
#2. Indirect Expenses
HITRUST is a complex task. It will cost your staff both time and productivity.
Employees will have to spend time preparing, collecting, and submitting evidence for certification, which will cost productivity and other opportunities. Depending on your risk profile, you may install 300–2000 controls. Just demonstrating compliance with each control can take up to an hour, not to mention making decisions about how to implement them, selecting and deploying tools, writing policies and procedures, implementing the control throughout the organization, and tracking to ensure it is managed correctly daily. Many firms hire 1-2 full-time employees to help them prepare for and pass their HITRUST examinations.
Aside from personnel, indirect costs include software and tools required for implementation.
Costs and expenses will be determined by your overall risk profile, the size of your organization, the technology required, and the hours spent preparing and submitting proof. It is critical to plan ahead of time for HITRUST certification preparation. Some businesses may need 18 to 24 months to prepare for their first validated assessment.
Now that we’ve reviewed the charges, it’s time to shift your perspective. Consider it an investment in a long-term, comprehensive risk management program.
How to Get Ready for the HITRUST Certification Exam
Preparing for HITRUST is a difficult task. Hundreds of man-hours, evidence to collect and present, and external assessors to vet are required.
HITRUST is intimidating, yet it is attainable. The HITRUST process may be a smooth-sailing, successful experience for all parties involved with the correct team and assistance.
Here are five pointers to help you prepare for HITRUST certification.
#1. Inform and Communicate
Everyone–and we mean everyone–should be made aware of the HITRUST certification process. Employees, stakeholders, assessors, and HITRUST are all involved. You’ll undoubtedly require executive support, but everyone should understand their role.
Employees without direct influence or a link to a HITRUST audit should know that the organization is revising and strengthening its security systems. They will likely be impacted at some point as the business changes its policies and processes, directly impacting how people execute their jobs.
#2. Divide Time and Resources Among Your Team Members
Make time for your team, particularly your IT team. They will handle the majority of HITRUST’s workload. Your security, operations, and IT teams will be doing the heavy work, so remember to include them from the start and budget for the necessary time and resources. Many auditors recommend engaging at least one full-time individual to support the HITRUST examination and working with professional HITRUST consultants.
#3. Gather all of Your Security Evidence and Documents
For each audited period, HITRUST demands records. Prepare any documentation needed to support changes to your operations. You’re already one step ahead if you have an integrated risk management platform with built-in documentation.
It may take weeks or months for your team to gather and compile evidence, so having a system to quickly get the most recent papers and notes for your HITRUST certification (now and in the future) can make your life easier.
#4. Thorough Scoping is Required
To ensure the effectiveness of your HITRUST process, your business must first determine its scope and level of security maturity. While the HITRUST CSF is a flexible framework that can be adjusted to practically any company, it is critical to obtain a MyCSF membership early in the process to have access to and begin to understand your risk factors to guarantee you are implementing the framework correctly. Working with an outside HITRUST provider can help you analyze and set your company’s risk factors.
#5. Never Go It Alone
HITRUST requires a significant amount of time and effort, and it is a continuing process that requires recertification every two years, with an annual review. While the technique becomes easier with time, the initial HITRUST attempt is brutal.
If you require assistance, consider the value of engaging a HITRUST preparer. Seeking out a HITRUST vendor early is beneficial if you intend to collaborate with one. A HITRUST preparer can assist you with your readiness evaluation and prepare you for the exam.
What is the difference between HIPAA and HITRUST?
The primary distinction between HITRUST and HIPAA is that HITRUST is a worldwide security and risk management framework. In contrast, HIPAA is a United States law that oversees healthcare industry standards for protecting patient health information.
What is HITRUST and SOC 2?
The HITRUST certifications were initially designed to assist healthcare organizations in mitigating privacy risks and providing information security. In contrast, the SOC 2 certification was designed to meet users’ needs who require assurance that their personal information is securely stored and processed.
Is HITRUST just for healthcare?
HITRUST’s mission is to create data protection guidelines for healthcare providers, business associates, and vendors to aid in protecting sensitive data and managing IT risk.
Can a person be HITRUST certified?
Individuals pursuing the Certified HITRUST CSF Practitioner title must have at least two (2) years of experience in information security (e.g., security and privacy policy development/implementation, risk management, risk assessment/analysis/mitigation).
What is the difference between HITRUST and NIST?
The NIST CSF has 108 security controls that must be implemented in order to achieve NIST compliance. The HITRUST CSF is a broader framework than NIST. The HITRUST CSF includes 1800 security controls divided into 14 control types, 75 control objectives, and 19 domains.
Why is HITRUST important in healthcare?
Because they have the certification to back it up, HITRUST Certification proves that an organization is a leader in security, privacy, and compliance. This credibility and position in the healthcare market distinguishes a company.
Conclusion
It is now more critical than ever to become HITRUST compliant to stay ahead of shifting hacker tactics. Consider the US State Department; the Wall Street Journal revealed in 2015 that they had been the victim of an email hacking attack. Despite installing a cutting-edge security system, the State Department frequently deals with hackers who get access to unclassified information.
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