Cyberattacks, data breaches, and ransomware are dangers for any organization, regardless of size. But healthcare organizations are a particularly enticing target for these attacks due to the large amounts of Protected Health Information (PHI) in their care. Patients trust healthcare organizations with their most personal information implicitly. But healthcare organizations are also under immense regulatory requirements that demand continuous, airtight security. So how do health organizations ensure they’re meeting the moment for all parties?
HITRUST CSF Certification is the gold standard in healthcare data security. This robust risk management framework is designed to help healthcare organizations achieve their compliance goals while minimizing the risk of a security breach. It encompasses the requirements of over 60 different regulatory standards and frameworks across industries, including HIPAA, under one framework.
Not only is HITRUST essential for healthcare organizations to protect sensitive information, it’s also a major business benefit. HITRUST isn’t required by law, but many healthcare organizations require certification of their vendors, giving a competitive edge to those who embrace it. Healthcare organizations or solution providers that want to grow, scale, and maintain trust with business partners get a major boost in piece-of-mind and business opportunities from this certification.
HITRUST offers three levels of assessment that demonstrate security and compliance.
Whether you choose to pursue a HITRUST certification on Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud, the certification process is simplified and accelerated by the power of the cloud. Flying solo to maintain your HITRUST certification is possible, but can prove to be a serious challenge. One of the largest obstacles of the certification for most organizations is the sheer number of controls required within the framework. With frequently-changing guidelines to boot, it’s a near-impossible task without an experienced cloud partner.
Thanks to the shared responsibility model, cloud providers can handle many of the security controls that HITRUST requires. Because these cloud providers have already achieved HITRUST for their infrastructure, healthcare organizations are able to inherit those already-certified controls. Organizations don’t need to implement and test as many controls on their own, saving them resources and time. For example, organizations can rely on their cloud provider’s data storage capabilities, rather than building or finding their own HIPAA-compliant data center.
The shared responsibility model dictates that cloud providers are responsible for ensuring the security of the cloud, including hardware, software, networking, and facilities. Customers manage security in the cloud including the services, configurations, and parameters of their cloud environment. While there are many HITRUST-certified services in AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, not every service is certified, making it vital for healthcare organizations to scope their cloud usage carefully.
Because cyber threats are ever-evolving, HITRUST is shifting toward ongoing assurance models. The cloud makes this easier through APIs, real-time logs, and continuous security tools. Cloud platforms integrate with compliance automation tools, such as Cloudticity Oxygen™ or HITRUST MyCSF API. So, instead of gathering spreadsheets and screenshots, IT teams can automate evidence collection and continuous monitoring.
Healthcare organizations often experience changing demand with events such as spikes in seasonal illnesses or community needs in new locations. To meet these demands, they need the flexibility to grow and scale without putting their HITRUST certification in jeopardy. The cloud offers access to infrastructure without the need for physical locations. So, organizations don’t need to waste money and maintenance on physical data centers when their patient load is light.
When choosing a cloud partner, don’t forget to think about who you really want to work with. You will be collaborating consistently throughout the course of your certification and future audits, so choose wisely!
At Cloudticity, we want to make every human on earth healthier through our work and help IT teams leverage the full potential of cloud technologies. Our tools and experience can cut audit times dramatically, sometimes as much as 62%, saving money, time-to-certification, and lowering internal disruption.
Let's tackle HITRUST together, starting with our comprehensive certification guide