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HITRUST CSF(Health Information Trust Alliance) Compliance Guide

An overview of the importance, steps, timeline, & cost of HITRUST Compliance.

Why is HITRUST CST important?

  • Reduce the risk of data breaches
    HITRUST certification confirms that a company has robust security protocols to safeguard sensitive information. This can mitigate the risk of expensive data breaches, which may involve legal costs, regulatory penalties, and reputational harm.
  • Meet regulatory requirements
    HITRUST certification assists organizations in fulfilling regulatory requirements like HIPAA and GDPR, thereby helping to avoid fines and penalties for non-compliance.
  • Streamline audit processes
    HITRUST certification aids organizations in simplifying their audit processes, thereby cutting down the time and resources required to prove compliance.
  • Build trust
    HITRUST certification enables organizations to establish trust with clients, business partners, and stakeholders.
  • Gain a competitive advantage
    Achieving HITRUST certification allows vendors to showcase their dedication to security and compliance, offering them a competitive edge.

HITRUST Readiness Step-by-Step

Step 1

Readiness Assessment

Timeline: 30-60 days

Key Objectives:

  • Identify key stakeholders
  • Define all requirements
  • Select an auditor
  • Conduct Readiness Assessment

Step 2

Remediation

Timeline: up to 180 days

Key Objectives:

  • Gap Analysis
  • Develop remediation plan
  • Collect Evidence
  • Schedule Validation Assessement

Step 3

Validated Assessment

Timeline: up to 90 days

Key Objectives:

  • Complete Validation Assessment using Vanta
  • Auditor reviews Validation Assessment & issues report

Step 4

Quality Assurance Reviews

Timeline: Ongoing

Key Objectives:

  • Performance of required quality assurance processes
  • Maintenance of required documentation/evidence
  • Updating of necessary procedures
  • Issuance & renewal of HITRUST Certificate

Budgeting for HITRUST compliance

How to plan for HITRUST compliance across your organization

Understanding the costs associated with attaining HITRUST compliance is a critical step for your organization that should be understood before you begin your journey. 

Key Considerations:

  • Internal staff time investment (i.e. opportunity cost)
  • 3rd party support to expedite the compliance process
  • Auditor Costs
  • Software to facilitate meeting & maintaining compliance

Internal Staff

DRIs for HITRUST compliance planning

When considering internal time investment it is important to understand that proper planning will require internal resources. The key players within an org are typically:

  • CEO 
  • CTO
  • CRM Administrator
  • Technical Support Staff

Estimated Time Investment

Without Partner: 20-40 hours/week

With Partner: 1-4 hours/week

3rd Party Support

Choosing the right partner reduces internal staff requirements

A dedicated partner with the skills to enable evidence collection, documentation, gap analysis, & processes can rapidly accelerate your path to compliance & reduce internal resources. Things to look for:

  • Certified expert/partner with Trust Management Platform
  • Defined SLAs 
  • Clear Statement of Work & Timeline

Estimated Cost

Initial Planning: $2,500-5,000

Ongoing: $6,000+/month (varies depending on scope)

Auditor Selection & Cost

Choosing the right auditor is critical to HITRUST compliance

The auditing phase is the final step before attaining your HITRUST certification. Selecting a qualified Auditor that is dependable & can work within your timeline is paramount to your successful completion of the HITRUST compliance process. 

Pro Tip: Your Partner should be able to advise & connect you with a good-fit auditor for your organization.

  • Price Range: $8,000+ (dependent on overall scope)
  • Timeline: generally a 3-6 week window (varies based on overall scope)

Software Selection

The right software can rapidly enhance your timeline to achieve HITRUST compliance.

When choosing Trust Management Software, it is important to consider how this will positively impact your ability to collect evidence, build processes, & document. It is also important to understand the impact this will have on your ability to remain in compliance for the long term.

We encourage our clients to work within the Vanta platform for both initial compliance & ongoing monitoring. Below we outline why we chose to partner with Vanta & how it has redefined the compliance framework space.

As your trusted Vanta Partner, SOC2 Fast can work quickly to meet the timelines, prepare you for audit, & gain & maintain compliance.

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Your Vanta implementation partner 

Automate your compliance faster with our support & the leading trust management platform. 

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SOC2 Fast Supported Frameworks

 SOC2 Fast offers services around the full-stack of frameworks. Learn more about the timelines supported.