Compliance steps for success: Preparing for your HITRUST® external assessment

Why select HITRUST for your compliance needs? 

HITRUST is a comprehensive cybersecurity framework designed to help organizations manage and protect sensitive information. The framework integrates various security, privacy, and regulatory requirements from multiple existing standards and regulations, such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), simplifying the compliance process and reducing the complexity of managing multiple requirements. 

Powered by the HITRUST CSF® at its core, HITRUST provides organizations with a certifiable set of controls to help ensure compliance within a wide range of regulatory and industry standards, making it particularly useful for highly regulated industries like healthcare, financial services and defense. 

HITRUST is widely recognized for its rigorous controls and structured approach to risk management. When using HITRUST, organizations can more proactively identify and mitigate security risks, which in turn serves to enhance overall security posture and credibility with stakeholders. 

While no framework can guarantee absolute security, HITRUST-certified organizations have a significantly lower breach rate: only 0.59% [1] reported breaches in 2024, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of HITRUST in reducing the likelihood and impact of security incidents.

The following programs recognize HITRUST certification as an independent assessment:

1. Microsoft Supplier Security and Privacy Assurance (SSPA): If a supplier is a healthcare provider in the United States or covered entity, Microsoft accepts a HITRUST report for privacy and security coverage.
2. Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA): The TEFCA Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) – The Sequoia Project – has selected HITRUST and the HITRUST Risk-based, two-year (r2) Certification as the first certifying body and certification for organizations to prove they comply with the TEFCA security requirements for their Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) designation. HITRUST is also available to support TEFCA participants and sub-participants in the security of TEFCA Information (TI) under the framework agreements