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HITRUST CSF Compliance Certification & Consulting
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What is HITRUST CSF Certification?
A top priority for all healthcare organizations is to protect patient and other sensitive healthcare information, which entails compliance with a growing range of regulations. Staying on top of all the relevant standards can be daunting for stakeholders across a broad array of healthcare service organizations, associates, and vendors.
The Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) provides a comprehensive, risk-based certifiable framework that helps healthcare service providers of all types, sizes, and complexity integrate compliance with a wide range of regulations, standards, and best practices.
HITRUST introduced and maintains the Common Security Framework (CSF) that provides a process to standardize Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance and coordinate it with other national and international data security frameworks and many state laws.
By integrating more than 20 different requirements and processes the HITRUST CSF Certification allows healthcare organizations to perform a single assessment to certify compliance with multiple initiatives (including a HIPAA compliance audit).
Is HITRUST necessary?
While HIPAA provides defined penalties for data security breaches, HITRUST enforcement is largely driven and managed by the healthcare industry. The industry has seen swift adoption of HITRUST, and through hospitals and payers requiring certification, it is gaining ground as an expectation for service providers and vendors.
HITRUST certification is not always required during the adoption of new technology, however, it provides opportunities to streamline security and compliance as part of the implementation process.
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Consultation
As your organization adopts new technology, we can help with a HITRUST assessment to streamline information security as part of the implementation process.
How do I get HITRUST certified?
HITRUST recommends following the HITRUST Approach to managing IT security risks and maintaining HITRUST compliance. This approach is defined by following the HITRUST CSF and integrating other relevant tools and processes to continuously identify threats, implement and manage controls, and assess and report on the implemented program.
Your organization can become certified by successfully undergoing the HITRUST Implemented, 1-year (i1) Assessment or the HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Validated Assessment.
RSI Security's HITRUST consultants will guide you through the process of assessing your organization's needs, developing a threat monitoring process, and choosing the right assessment and certification option.
Our HITRUST Certification Services
Understanding the HITRUST Journey
HITRUST CSF CERTIFICATION & ASSESSMENT
Why adopt the HITRUST framework?
Increased Security
Provides opportunities to improve your organization’s security posture and risk management processes.
Single Framework
HITRUST provides a single framework that synchronizes existing global security regulations and standards including HIPAA, HITECH, NIST, PCI DSS, ISO, FTC, COBIT, and GDPR.
Reputational Advantage
If you’re a service provider or vendor that supports the healthcare industry, HITRUST can provide a competitive advantage that increases your business value and reputation.
Scalable
Scales controls to organizations of any size, type, and complexity.
Certification
If you receive a letter from a customer requiring HITRUST CSF certification, you can already be proactively prepared with a certified data security program.
Download our HITRUST Services Datasheet
HOW TO
Achieve HITRUST CSF Certification
HITRUST CSF provides three options or Degrees of Assurances, which are largely levels of CSF assessment. Below are the Degrees of Assurance first describing the level with the lowest cost, rigor, time, and effort:
Self Assessment
This is an assessment completed by an organization itself without external support to verify the assessment. HITRUST issues a CSF Self-Assessment Report that achieves a low-level non-certified accreditation. The self-assessment is also an excellent method to use periodically to assess and verify an organization’s data security posture. Gaps identified during the assessment can be addressed and any required system changes implemented before considering a third-party validated assessment.
CSF Validated
This level requires that a HITRUST approved third-party CSF assessor verify the evidence provided by the organization completing the assessment. The CSF Assessor will conduct an onsite visit as required for this Degree of Assurance. HITRUST reviews the completed, assessor-verified assessment and issues a Validated Report.
CSF Certified
This level is similar to the validated assessment with the main difference that the organization meets all of the in-scope CSF-specific controls to be granted a HITRUST CSF Certification. The certified level builds on the CSF Validated assessment as HITRUST reviews, scores, and certifies the evidence provided by the organization and validated by the third-party assessor and issues a Certified Report.
Self Assessment
This is an assessment completed by an organization itself without external support to verify the assessment. HITRUST issues a CSF Self-Assessment Report that achieves a low-level non-certified accreditation. The self-assessment is also an excellent method to use periodically to assess and verify an organization’s data security posture. Gaps identified during the assessment can be addressed and any required system changes implemented before considering a third-party validated assessment.
CSF Validated
This level requires that a HITRUST approved third-party CSF assessor verify the evidence provided by the organization completing the assessment. The CSF Assessor will conduct an onsite visit as required for this Degree of Assurance. HITRUST reviews the completed, assessor-verified assessment and issues a Validated Report.
CSF Certified
This level is similar to the validated assessment with the main difference that the organization meets all of the in-scope CSF-specific controls to be granted a HITRUST CSF Certification. The certified level builds on the CSF Validated assessment as HITRUST reviews, scores, and certifies the evidence provided by the organization and validated by the third-party assessor and issues a Certified Report.
HITRUST Certification FAQs
HITRUST certification verifies that your organization is following the latest industry standards to protect the security and privacy of sensitive data. And since the framework is designed to incorporate the requirements of other standards and laws, including NIST and HIPPA, it can also help prove compliance with those incorporated security standards.
The HITRUST Implemented (i1) Assessment + Certification is valid for one year, and the HITRUST Risk-based (r2) Assessment + Certification is valid for two years.
The HITRUST CSF is available to many organizations at no cost, although implementation and certification will likely incur costs. However, implementing the CSF will help your organization establish a robust security and threat management plan. Additionally, achieving HITRUST compliance streamlines audits and verification of compliance with laws and other compliance standards, making it well worth the investment.
The HITRUST Alliance was founded and began providing information security and risk management guidance in 2007.
HITRUST certification is for organizations handling protected health information. Though it is not legally mandated in most cases, some healthcare organizations require their associates to be HITRUST certified, and this expectation is becoming more common.
There are over 150 HITRUST controls in total, but the number of controls that must be followed for compliance and certification may vary across organizations.
The cost of HITRUST certification varies depending on the level of certification, and HITRUST does not currently publish pricing information publicly. RSI Security will help determine the most cost-effective path to HITRUST certification for your organization.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal US law requiring the protection of identifying personal health information. It is applicable to Covered Entities in and adjacent to healthcare, along with select business associates thereof. HITRUST maintains the HITRUST CSF, an information security framework initially designed for the healthcare industry but now widely applicable across various industries.
HITRUST does not replace HIPAA. The HITRUST CSF incorporates the legal requirements defined by the HIPAA rules, but it does not replace them. Being HITRUST certified can, however, help prove and streamline an organization's compliance with HIPAA law.
Yes. Achieving HITRUST certification requires successful assessment and testing by a HITRUST Authorized External Assessor.
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Why Choose RSI Security?
RSI Security is a full-service security service provider organization with many years of experience providing data security compliance, information security program implementation, and testing services.
As an authorized HITRUST CSF Assessor, RSI Security has HITRUST Practitioners and advisors with the expertise to provide the guidance and knowledge your organization requires to successfully complete a HITRUST CSF Validation or Certification. With our HITRUST compliance services, our qualified security advisors can get you started for success scoping the coverage for your assessment and facilitating the self-assessment process to reduce the cost, time, and resources.
As your organization adopts new technology, we can help with a HITRUST assessment to streamline information security compliance as part of the implementation process.
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Start taking steps now to ensure HITRUST certification and avoid costly data-breach-related litigation and damage to business reputation.
