Introduction
In continuation to our previous blog’s discussion on Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), today we will introduce two very important compliance topics: HIPAA and HITRUST.
HITRUST Alliance states that over 80% of US hospitals and 85% of US health insurers, along with numerous other covered entities and business associates, have relied on the HITRUST approach to support their HIPAA compliance programs. Moreover, HITRUST (Health Information Trust Alliance) reports that less than 1% of HITRUST-certified environments experienced a breach over the past two years. They attribute this impressive performance to the effectiveness of their control set and the capabilities of their Cyber Threat Adaptive engine.
What is the difference between HIPAA and HITRUST compliance? This question is often asked.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a US law that sets rules for protecting and handling health information. The healthcare providers, third-party software companies holding such data and the health insurers are all subject to this law.
In 2007, a non-profit organization was founded in the name of the Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST). It is known for developing the Common Security Framework (CSF) taking inputs from healthcare, information security, and technology companies.
Both go hand in hand where healthcare information security is concerned. Now let us understand how HIPPA and HITRUST are similar yet different from the tables below.
Similarities between HIPAA and HITRUST
| Aspects | HIPAA | HITRUST |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Sets the rules for governance and management of security risks in the healthcare industry. | Outlines how to comply with HIPAA rules. |
| Scope | Healthcare industry. | Initially healthcare. Now includes other international privacy frameworks and is more industry-agnostic |
| Relevance | Governs security risks in the healthcare industry. | Leading security framework for demonstrating HIPAA compliance. |
HITRUST Vs. HIPAA: The Differences
| Aspects | HITRUST | HIPAA |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Law |
| Scope | Global | U.S. |
| Purpose | Security and Risk Management Framework | Governs health industry standards for protecting PHI (Protected Health Information) |
| Application | Used to achieve and certify compliance with multiple regulations including HIPAA | Specific to healthcare organizations handling PHI |
| Authority | HITRUST Alliance (private) | U.S. Federal Government |
| Flexibility | Provides a flexible framework | Details specific rules and standards |
| Interrelation | Supports achieving HIPAA compliance | Defines the rules that HITRUST helps to achieve compliance with |
| Focus | Comprehensive security and privacy risk management | Security of Protected Health Information (PHI) |
FAQs on HITRUST and HIPAA
1) Is SIEM required for HIPAA compliance?
One of the important activities of SIEM is collecting all data from various IT systems in the audit log and analyzing the information system activities. HIPAA compliance makes organizations compliant to regularly access and review the reports and be vigilant. Microsoft Sentinel is one such SIEM tool that provides audit logs and reports to help staying compliant with HIPAA.
2) What is the HITRUST risk assessment for HIPAA?
For a healthcare organization, patient data is as much important as their life and death. To protect their health data, taking a HITRUST risk assessment is non-negotiable. It is equivalent to having a hygiene check of the healthcare’s data security and compliance in accordance with HIPAA. Here, HITRUST is a framework that aligns the organization’s data with HIPAA’s rules.
3) What is HITRUST certification?
HITRUST CSF has been around for more than a decade, yet organizations have a tough time deciding if they want the certification by taking the assessment. It is a certifiable framework that assures your patients that their sensitive data is protected with sincerity and integrity.
There may be queries regarding what type of assessments are there and how to complete them. Specifically, there are three types of assessments –
Data Source: Linford & Company LLP
HITRUST CSF Assessment e1
A relatively new type of assessment launched in January of 2023. This is an essential assessment for cybersecurity applicable to low-risk organizations with good positions in cybersecurity. It usually covers 44 control requirements. Even if the assurance level is low, it serves as the fundamental step towards better HITRUST i1 and r2 assessments.
HITRUST CSF Assessment i1
This implemented assessment is more tedious in nature with a moderate level of assurance, meant for higher security practices. The i1 assessment, revised as of January 2023, will cover 182 control requirements. After the completion of the first year, the organization will have to go through a recertification in the second year.
HITRUST CSF Assessment r2
This 2-year risk-based assessment demands a high level of assurance with a stringent and comprehensive approach. This is the highest level of HITRUST certification and hence is expensive and exhaustive. The organization must be prepared to put in a lot of effort and resources.
The Compliance Solution
It is evident that expenses and resources hinder most organization’s compliance journey. That is why it is so important to work with a trusted HITRUST-compliant partner.
Microsoft Sentinel as a part of Microsoft Azure Cloud services complies with HIPAA and HITRUST. Microsoft provides all the components for compliance framework integration.
Source: Microsoft Security Community
Moreover, Microsoft has unveiled a suite of automation tools tailored for HIPAA/HITRUST compliance. This package includes valuable resources such as reference architectures, detailed compliance guidance, and deployment scripts. These tools are designed to streamline the creation and launch of cloud-powered applications, ensuring they meet these rigorous regulatory standards with ease.
Conclusion
Netwoven as Microsoft Security Solutions Partner, has been working in the field of security and compliance for decades and managed over 500,000 Microsoft 365 seats for some of the world’s biggest brands.
Beyond the FAQs stated here there would be details that you need to be compliant with HIPAA and HITRUST. Feel free to contact us and we will assist you further.
