Preparing for HITRUST e1 and i1 assessments requires thorough planning, including conducting a gap analysis, implementing robust controls, and engaging HITRUST experts. HITRUST’s new enhancement now allows the integration of additional regulatory factors, producing valuable insights reports to showcase compliance levels against a specific factor to stakeholders.

 

Small to midsize businesses (SMBs) are under increasing pressure to comply with security and regulatory frameworks like HIPAA while managing limited resources. As cybersecurity threats grow more complex and regulatory requirements become more demanding, achieving thorough compliance can be overwhelming. However, HITRUST’s enhanced e1 (44 controls) and i1 (182 controls) assessments offer a flexible and robust solution. This flexibility allows SMBs to adapt to changing regulatory landscapes and manage their resources more effectively, providing a reassuring level of control.

 

The enhancement to HITRUST‘s assessments allows organizations to align their baseline HITRUST CSF requirements with additional authoritative sources, such as HIPAA, through a streamlined process. This process consolidates assessment efforts, reducing the need for multiple, redundant assessments and minimizing audit fatigue.

 

Moreover, this integration enables SMBs to meet various standards while maintaining a solid security posture. Incorporating detailed Insights Reports is a game-changer, demonstrating a company’s compliance with the specific standards being assessed.

 

This blog will explore the strategic advantages of these combined assessments for SMBs, highlighting how they can simplify compliance, reduce costs, and improve overall security. We will also provide actionable insights to help your business fully leverage this opportunity, ensuring you’re prepared to navigate the complexities of cybersecurity and regulatory requirements confidently.

 

Relevance To SMBs

Rather than conducting separate assessments for each regulatory framework, SMBs can use the e1 or i1 assessments to integrate additional regulatory factors such as HIPAA Security, Privacy, Breach Notification Rules, and the new AI Risk Management factor. This integrated approach streamlines the compliance process by allowing organizations to test once and generate multiple insights reports, reducing redundancy in control testing and reporting.

 

Furthermore, while the e1 and i1 assessments are distinct, they share many similarities, particularly in their overlapping control requirements. The main difference, however, lies in the number of requirements, with e1 serving as a lighter assessment compared to the more comprehensive i1.

 

For SMBs, the e1 assessment is a beneficial stepping stone toward more rigorous certifications like the i1 or r2. This approach allows businesses to gradually build their compliance maturity without being overwhelmed by the i1’s enormous scope. As a result, SMBs can streamline their compliance journey and maintain flexibility in resource allocation while strengthening their overall compliance posture over time.

 

Ultimately, the significant advantage lies in generating comprehensive Insights Reports, demonstrating the organization’s compliance with the selected factor. These reports provide detailed, actionable data on how an organization meets specific regulatory requirements, making it easier to communicate compliance and control maturity to critical stakeholders such as regulators, customers, and internal teams. As a result, the thorough nature of the reports ensures that SMBs are fully informed and in control of their compliance efforts.

Enhancements to MyCSF SaaS Platform

The MyCSF platform plays a vital role here, offering a centralized, automated tool for tracking progress, managing controls, and generating insights crucial for demonstrating compliance in audits or client assessments. Additionally, SMBs can capitalize on the shared responsibility model, mainly when using cloud service providers.

 

By leveraging the inheritance feature in HITRUST MyCSF, organizations can reduce the scope of their compliance assessments by inheriting applicable controls already implemented by trusted third-party vendors. This saves time and effort and enhances the compliance process’s efficiency, making SMBs feel more productive and resourceful.

 

Key Benefits of Integrating Additional Regulatory Factors in e1 and i1 Assessments

Enhanced Insights for Stakeholders

The ability to align multiple regulatory frameworks within the e1 and i1 assessments allows organizations to generate detailed, customized Insights Reports. These reports map specific control requirements to each relevant framework (e.g., HIPAA), offering a clear and transparent view of how the organization’s security controls meet the obligations of various standards. This level of detail gives stakeholders enhanced insights, making them feel more informed and confident in the organization’s compliance efforts.

 

The technical breakdown of how controls align with these frameworks gives internal teams actionable data to identify gaps, make informed decisions on remediation, and optimize resource allocation. The reports provide a verifiable demonstration of compliance for external stakeholders—such as customers and regulatory bodies—reducing the need for multiple, overlapping audits.

 

Reduced Audit Fatigue

For SMBs with limited resources, the burden of multiple audits can be significantly reduced by integrating additional regulatory requirements into a single e1 or i1 assessment. This approach consolidates audit procedures, eliminates the need for separate assessments (e.g., NIST 800-53 or ISO/IEC 27001), and reuses standard controls, such as access policies for both HIPAA and HITRUST. The result is a streamlined process that saves time and resources, providing a welcome relief from audit fatigue.

 

Improved Control Inheritance

SMBs using cloud service providers (CSPs) or third-party vendors can simplify compliance through HITRUST’s control inheritance in the shared responsibility model. Controls related to infrastructure, physical security, and network management can be inherited from the CSP, reducing the need for SMBs to manage every control independently. This improved control inheritance provides a sense of security, allowing SMBs to focus on business-specific controls and enhancing vendor risk management by continuously monitoring inherited controls.

 

For example, SMBs using Amazon Web Services (AWS) can inherit AWS’s compliance with controls like data center security and encryption. HITRUST’s framework allows these inherited controls to be mapped directly into e1 or i1 Insights Reports, clarifying which controls are managed by third parties.

 

This inheritance feature reduces compliance complexity, especially in cloud-heavy environments, as CSPs often provide pre-configured compliance templates. It allows SMBs to focus on business-specific controls and enhances vendor risk management by continuously monitoring inherited controls.

 

Preparing For the HITRUST Combined Assessment

• Conduct a Preliminary Gap Analysis: A thorough gap analysis is crucial before starting the combined assessment process. Identifying areas where compliance posture may need revision, such as access control, data protection, or incident management, allows SMBs to prioritize efforts and focus on critical areas, streamlining the assessment process and setting realistic goals and expectations.
• Engage Key Stakeholders: To achieve compliance effectively, involve key stakeholders to ensure alignment with assessment goals and commitment to meeting requirements. Fostering a culture of collaboration enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the assessment process and helps overcome potential roadblocks.
• Develop a Detailed Project Plan: A successful assessment requires careful planning and execution. Developing a detailed project plan is crucial for navigating the complexities of the HITRUST combined assessment. The plan should outline every step, from preparations to final submission, with clear responsibilities, timelines, and milestones to track progress.
• Leverage External Expertise: Consider working with experienced HITRUST assessors who can provide invaluable guidance throughout the assessment process, ensuring thorough, accurate, and industry-aligned assessments. Seek their feedback on your readiness and address any gaps identified during the Pre-QA phase.