The Value of HITRUST Certification in HIPAA Compliance

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The Value of HITRUST Certification in HIPAA Compliance

The rise of electronic health records (EHRs) means that healthcare organizations are collecting, storing, and sharing more data than ever before. That data is very valuable to cybercriminals.

Experts say that a full medical record can sell on the black market for as much as $1,000 due to the amount of identity data involved. Medical identity theft can take months or even years to detect, giving criminals ample opportunity to file fraudulent insurance claims and obtain drugs and medical devices to sell.

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Health data breaches don’t just create headaches for patients — they come with serious consequences to healthcare organizations. Those organizations that fail to comply with the privacy and security provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) face fines of thousands, even millions of dollars if a breach occurs.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes standards for ensuring the privacy of protected health information (PHI) by giving individuals a degree of control over their PHI while limiting how healthcare organizations may use PHI. The HIPAA Security Rule sets technical and nontechnical standards for implementing the Privacy Rule.

The Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) Common Security Framework (CSF) helps healthcare organizations protect their systems, manage risk, and meet HIPAA requirements. Organizations that are HITRUST certified can demonstrate to third-party auditors that they are HIPAA compliant.

At DeSeMa, we are proud to help healthcare organizations learn more about HITRUST certification. If you are interested in receiving your certification and you want to know how you can get started, reach out to our team today! In the meantime, continue reading below to get a better idea of how you can benefit from this type of certification.

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Understanding the HITRUST Certification Framework

HITRUST encompasses HIPAA standards, as well as the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), the ISO/IEC 27001 standard, the COBIT 5 framework, and other state, federal, and industry standards. It also incorporates privacy controls for compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and various state privacy requirements. Founded in 2007, the HITRUST Alliance is governed by an Executive Council of cybersecurity leaders from large enterprises.

The HITRUST CSF is subdivided into 19 domains with a total of 75 control objectives. Each control objective has groups of related controls with specifications and implementation requirements. Each control has three implementation levels that build on each other. Organizations choose the appropriate controls and implementation levels based upon their specific regulatory requirements, IT environment, and risk factors.

Organizations that wish to obtain HITRUST CSF certification must demonstrate that they have met all requirements for the applicable controls and implementation levels. The process begins with a self-assessment with supporting evidence that is verified by a third-party CSF Assessor. The HITRUST Alliance analyzes the results and, if validated, issues the certification. There are now two types of certification: the traditional Risk-Based Two-Year Validated Assessment and the new Implemented One-Year Validated Assessment. The one-year assessment covers only the HIPAA Security Rule.

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HITRUST Certification Is Only the Beginning

Although HITRUST certification can be costly, it is becoming a necessity for healthcare organizations and business partners due to the requirements of large providers. It’s important to remember, however, that HITRUST certification is only a point-in-time validation of an organization’s security controls. A continuous compliance process is essential to preventing a disruptive, expensive data breach that can erode patient trust.

HIPAA itself requires more than just security controls. Assessment, planning, and policy development are critical components of HIPAA compliance.

Healthcare organizations are also required to conduct regular risk assessments to identify threats to PHI and the potential impact of a data breach. Organizations must then develop a risk management policy that includes appropriate penalties for users who fail to comply with HIPAA requirements. A contingency plan must be developed and tested to ensure that business processes can continue and data can be recovered in the event of an emergency.

DeSeMa offers a comprehensive suite of security services, including risk and threat assessments and policy and procedure development. We also help organizations develop a cybersecurity strategy and implement the right tools to address their most serious threats. Our ongoing compliance monitoring covers physical assets, software, and data throughout the IT environment.

Escalating cyberattacks on healthcare organizations have made HIPAA compliance more important than ever. Let DeSeMa help you strengthen your defenses. To learn more about our IT security services and how we can help you get your HITRUST certification, reach out to our team to get the process started today!

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