We live in an interconnected business environment. Organizations are increasingly relying on third-party vendors for services ranging from cloud storage and payroll to software development and supply chain logistics. But with these partnerships come risks.

So, what is third-party risk management (TPRM), and why is it critical for modern organizations? At its core, TPRM is the structured process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that arise when working with external partners. A strong third-party vendor risk management program protects your organization’s data, reputation, and operational continuity, ensuring that vendor relationships remain a strategic asset rather than a liability.

Why third-party risk is a growing concern

A more connected, complex vendor landscape

The average enterprise now works with hundreds of vendors, many of which have access to sensitive data or core systems. According to Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, breaches involving a third party doubled from 15% to 30%. A single weak link in the supply chain can compromise organizational security and lead to a breach.

Regulatory pressure and public scrutiny

Organizations face mounting pressure from regulators and industry watchdogs to ensure that their vendors and partners maintain strong cybersecurity and compliance standards. Regulations such as HIPAA in healthcare and GDPR in Europe impose strict requirements not only on organizations themselves but also on the third parties they engage with. Failure to enforce compliance across the vendor ecosystem can result in significant fines, legal action, and reputational damage.

Reputation, continuity, and trust

A breach or operational failure at a vendor can ripple outward, affecting customer trust and brand reputation. For example, in 2022, a ransomware attack on an IT management platform disrupted services for hundreds of businesses worldwide. Even if your organization isn’t directly targeted, third-party incidents can halt operations and erode stakeholder confidence, highlighting why proactive TPRM cybersecurity is no longer optional.

TPRM definition

What is TPRM

To answer the question, what is TPRM,it refers to a continuous process of evaluating the risks associated with vendors and partners. It is not a one-time assessment or a simple compliance checklist. TPRM encompasses due diligence before onboarding, ongoing monitoring, and mitigation strategies for potential disruptions, breaches, or regulatory noncompliance.

Understanding the scope of third parties

Third parties can include suppliers, contractors, cloud service providers, software vendors, and even consultants who access sensitive data. In some cases, fourth-party risks — risks from a vendor’s own partners — also need consideration.

TPRM vs. general risk management: Key differences

While general risk management focuses on internal operations, third-party vendor risk management is specifically concerned with external entities and their impact on your organization. It integrates cybersecurity, compliance, operational continuity, and financial exposure into a unified vendor risk strategy.

The role of cybersecurity frameworks in TPRM

Why framework alignment matters

Frameworks provide structure for evaluating and mitigating vendor risks. Organizations leveraging standards like NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and HITRUST CSF benefit from repeatable, auditable processes that strengthen oversight and facilitate regulatory compliance.

Building a unified approach across vendors

Effective third-party risk management programs align all vendors under a comprehensive framework to reduce the complexity of managing multiple assessments and reporting standards. This approach ensures risk-based prioritization, focusing resources on high-impact vendors rather than spreading efforts thin.

HITRUST as a model for TPRM harmonization

HITRUST offers a comprehensive approach to vendor risk management, combining security, privacy, and regulatory compliance requirements in a single scalable model. Organizations can use HITRUST to evaluate vendors consistently, ensuring depth of assurance without sacrificing efficiency.

The strategic value of TPRM for modern organizations

From checkbox to culture: Driving real accountability

Understanding what is third-party risk management can help organizations move beyond compliance to embedding risk awareness into organizational culture. Businesses that prioritize vendor oversight can avoid costly incidents and strengthen trust with clients and regulators.

Risk-based segmentation and prioritization

Not all vendors pose the same risk. Effective TPRM involves segmenting vendors based on the sensitivity of data handled, system access, and potential operational impact, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently.

How TPRM supports organizational resilience

A mature TPRM cybersecurity program enhances resilience by enabling proactive mitigation strategies, incident response coordination, and continuity planning. Organizations with robust vendor monitoring can quickly identify and remediate affected systems supplied by third-party vendors.

Laying the groundwork for scalable, trustworthy vendor relationships

What to look for in an effective TPRM program

Key elements include continuous monitoring, formal risk assessments, contractual safeguards, and vendor scorecards. Programs should evolve alongside the organization and its vendor ecosystem.

Questions every organization should ask about its vendors

• How do they secure sensitive data?
• Have they experienced breaches, and how were they remediated?
• What regulatory or industry standards do they comply with?

Why assurance depth (not just coverage) matters

Depth ensures that a vendor’s security practices are truly effective, not just nominally compliant. This distinction is critical for avoiding incidents where a superficially compliant vendor fails under real-world attack.

Elevating TPRM with HITRUST

HITRUST offers a proven approach that reduces risk. Organizations can leverage HITRUST to simplify vendor management across industries. By standardizing vendor assessments and aligning with recognized regulatory requirements, HITRUST empowers organizations to build vendor relationships that are secure, scalable, and resilient.

If you’re still wondering what is third-party risk management and how to manage your vendors, learn more about building a strong TPRM program with HITRUST here, and explore how you can transform vendor risk from a blind spot into a competitive advantage.

If you’re comparing HITRUST vs. NIST and HITRUST vs. ISO 27001, here’s the short answer: NIST (SP 800-53/CSF 2.0) and ISO 27001 provide excellent guidance, but HITRUST unifies, operationalizes, and proves your program with prescriptive controls, standardized scoring, third-party validation, and mapped outputs you can hand to regulators, customers, and boards.

Understand how the frameworks work together, compare NIST and HITRUST, compare ISO 27001 and HITRUST, and learn when to choose each.

Compare NIST, HITRUST, and ISO 27001 

Framework origins and purpose

• NIST SP 800‑53: This framework is a U.S. government catalog of security and privacy controls for systems and organizations. It is widely used in federal and critical infrastructure contexts. The latest patch release, 5.1.1, was updated on November 7, 2023.
• NIST CSF 2.0: NIST CSF 2.0 is a high‑level, outcomes‑based guidance usable by organizations of all sizes. It was released on February 26, 2024.
• ISO/IEC 27001: This is an international information security management system standard giving general system requirements. It is widely certifiable through accredited bodies. Its most recent version was released in October 2022.
• HITRUST CSF: The HITRUST framework is a harmonized, prescriptive control framework built on ISO fundamentals and multiple integrated sources. The most recent major version, CSF v11.5.0, became effective on April 14, 2025.

Certification and recognition

• NIST (SP 80053/CSF 2.0): A significant difference between HITRUST and NIST is that NIST does not offer official certifications for systems or CSF implementations. It publishes guidance and validation programs.
• ISO 27001: Accredited certification bodies provide ISO certifications. ISO itself doesn’t certify. This decentralized setup produces variability in scoring methodology and data reporting. This is a prominent difference between HITRUST and ISO 27001. 
• HITRUST: HITRUST offers core security certifications (e1, i1, r2) with centralized HITRUST QA, standardized scoring, and third-party validation.

What is the HITRUST framework?

The HITRUST CSF is a universal control framework that harmonizes 60+ frameworks, standards, and regulations. It enables tailored, risk-based assessments and supports consistent, efficient cybersecurity and compliance across varied industry needs.

Key features of HITRUST

• Harmonized, prescriptive controls: The HITRUST framework consolidates multiple sources into a single coherent library and specifies detailed control requirements for robust security.
• Cyber threat adaptive: HITRUST evaluates current attack techniques and tunes requirements every quarter. For instance, analyses confirm that the HITRUST CSF covers 100% of addressable MITRE ATT&CK® techniques.
• Proven outcomes: HITRUST is proven to reduce risk. The 2025 Trust Report shows organizations with HITRUST certifications experienced a 0.59% incident rate in 2024 (i.e., 99.41% remained breach-free), whereas the industry average stands at double-digit.

How HITRUST integrates NIST and ISO 27001

As HITRUST harmonizes more than 60 authoritative sources, 14 NIST and ISO sources are integrated within the framework. This includes NIST CSF 2.0, NIST AI RMF, NIST SP 800-53, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 23894:2023.

• NIST CSF 2.0: HITRUST offers a NIST CSF 2.0 add-on with its r2 certification. Organizations can generate a HITRUST‑issued NIST CSF 2.0 certification report without a separate assessment.
• Insights Reports: HITRUST offers different Insights Reports to turn one validated assessment into mapped, audit‑ready reports aligned to frameworks like NIST, ISO, and more. With a single assessment, organizations can prove compliance with multiple frameworks.

Certification and assurance with HITRUST

HITRUST offers an assurance and certification program for systems and environments. It has three core security assessments for businesses with varied needs, sizes, and risk profiles.

• e1: 44 foundational controls (entry‑level, 1-year)
• i1: 182 curated controls (mid-level, 1-year)
• r2: Tailored, risk‑based controls (highest level, 2-year)

These assessments are scalable, and entities can move from one assessment to another without losing their previous work. Aside from this, HITRUST also offers add-on and standalone assessments such as AI Risk Management, AI Security, NIST CSF 2.0, and more.

All HITRUST assessments are centrally reviewed and standardized with clear scoring thresholds and a defined Quality Assurance (QA) process — ensuring consistent, objective results that relying parties can trust.

When to use HITRUST vs. NIST vs. ISO 27001

Industry considerations and regulatory drivers

• Use NIST SP 800‑53 if you need to align with U.S. federal expectations or use a widely recognized risk framework as a strategic reference.
• Use ISO 27001 if you need a globally recognized information security management system certification to support international operations and customer expectations.
• Use HITRUST when you need prescriptive, testable assurance that consolidates requirements, proves effectiveness, reduces risk, and outputs mapped compliance reports to NIST/ISO and other regimes.

Organizational size, maturity, and scope

• Early‑stage or lower risk: Start with the HITRUST e1 to establish critical cybersecurity and accelerate to i1 or r2 when needed.
• Mid‑maturity: Get a HITRUST i1 certification for stronger, moderate assurance.
• High‑risk/regulated: Pursue HITRUST r2 for the highest security assurance with tailored controls. Add the NIST CSF 2.0 report and generate Insights Reports for regulators and partners.

Benefits of using HITRUST as a universal framework

Streamlined compliance across frameworks

HITRUST enables you to get many deliverables with one validated assessment. For example, you can get a NIST CSF 2.0 add‑on, ISO‑aligned Insights Reports, HIPAA Insights Reports, and AI Risk Management report. It streamlines compliance and minimizes duplicate testing and rework.

Improved risk management efficiency

Standardized scoring, centralized QA, and threat‑adaptive controls translate to clearer, more reliable outcomes — with independently reported evidence of fewer incidents among certified environments.

Multi‑framework security strategy

You don’t have to be confused when picking HITRUST vs. NIST or HITRUST vs. ISO 27001. You can choose HITRUST and demonstrate alignment to NIST/ISO simultaneously. That’s the fastest path to a program, which is comprehensive, efficient, and defensible with evidence that stakeholders trust.

After comparing HITRUST vs. NIST and HITRUST vs. ISO 27001, it is evident that HITRUST supports long-term compliance and cyber resilience. Discover how HITRUST can unify your approach to NIST and ISO 27001 and simplify your path to stronger, more efficient cybersecurity and compliance.

Cyber threats are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. Organizations can no longer afford to operate without a structured approach to protecting sensitive information. One of the most effective ways to build that structure is by implementing a cybersecurity framework.

But what is a cybersecurity framework? In simple terms, it is a standardized set of guidelines, best practices, and controls that help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risks. It forms the foundation of a strong, scalable, and compliant cybersecurity program.

Why cybersecurity frameworks matter

The growing complexity of cyber threats

The cybersecurity threat landscape has evolved dramatically. Today’s threats include advanced persistent attacks, supply chain vulnerabilities, ransomware, and AI-enabled exploits. These modern risks require more than just firewalls and antivirus tools. They demand a strategic, repeatable approach to managing cyber risk across the organization.

The need for consistent, scalable security practices

Organizations often operate in complex environments with varying systems, third-party vendors, and regulatory obligations. Without a consistent approach, security becomes fragmented and ineffective. A cybersecurity framework brings uniformity to how risk is identified, managed, and mitigated, enabling teams to scale security initiatives with confidence and clarity.

Cybersecurity framework definition

What is a cybersecurity framework

A cybersecurity framework is not a product — it’s a methodology. Although there is no set cybersecurity framework definition, it can be described as a standard that outlines the processes, controls, and policies organizations can adopt to protect digital assets. While some frameworks, like HIPAA, are regulatory, others, like NIST, are voluntary but widely adopted. Based on security and business needs, organizations should opt for the right types of cybersecurity frameworks. The key is that they must provide an approach that is actionable, auditable, and flexible enough to adapt to different risk profiles.

Common elements found in most frameworks

Most cybersecurity risk management frameworks share some common features. They typically include

• Identify: Understand your assets, data, and risks.
• Protect: Implement safeguards like encryption, access control, and training.
• Detect: Monitor systems to uncover anomalies and breaches.
• Respond: Plan and execute incident response.
• Recover: Restore systems and operations post-incident.

These elements make frameworks indispensable for managing the lifecycle of cyber risk.

Types of cybersecurity frameworks you should know

Understanding the types of cybersecurity frameworks helps you determine which fits best with your needs.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)

Developed by the U.S. government, NIST CSF is one of the most recognized frameworks globally. It provides a flexible approach to managing cybersecurity risks based on the five functional areas mentioned earlier. HITRUST offers a companion guide for NIST 2.0 to help organizations implement it efficiently.

ISO/IEC 27001

An international standard, ISO/IEC 27001 focuses on information security management systems (ISMS). It provides a systematic approach to securing sensitive company information, aligning well with businesses that operate globally.

HIPAA Security Rule

It is mandatory for healthcare entities to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule. This cybersecurity compliance framework outlines administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for protecting health information.

HITRUST CSF

The HITRUST framework (HITRUST CSF) stands out by integrating and harmonizing more than 60 standards and frameworks, including NIST, ISO, HIPAA, and others. This unified approach simplifies the overwhelming task of compliance and reduces redundant audits. The HITRUST CSF uses threat intelligence data to keep up with evolving threats, making it a one-of-a-kind cyber threat-adaptive framework.

The value of a multi-framework approach

Why organizations rarely rely on a single framework

Most organizations don’t operate in a vacuum. Whether you’re in finance, healthcare, or technology, you're likely subject to several regulations and stakeholder expectations.

Benefits of an integrated approach

A multi-framework approach allows organizations to

• Meet multiple compliance requirements simultaneously.
• Align with business-specific risk priorities.
• Save time and resources by avoiding duplicate efforts.

The HITRUST framework is specifically designed to offer a multi-framework approach and support a harmonized, efficient strategy.

How cybersecurity frameworks support risk management

Frameworks as a guide for identifying and addressing risk

A cybersecurity risk management framework acts like a compass. It doesn’t eliminate risk, but it helps you understand where you are and how to navigate forward. Frameworks offer structure for identifying vulnerabilities, prioritizing mitigation strategies, and tracking progress.

Aligning frameworks with regulatory and business requirements

Cybersecurity compliance frameworks help you stay ahead of evolving compliance mandates. They bridge the gap between regulatory demands and operational capabilities, ensuring that cybersecurity doesn’t become a bottleneck to growth.

Measuring maturity and assurance over time

Many frameworks come with maturity models, enabling organizations to benchmark their posture and chart a course for improvement. This long-term visibility is critical for executive buy-in and for proving due diligence to auditors and partners. Different types of HITRUST assessments offer assurance based on the HITRUST framework.

Choosing the right framework for your organization

Key factors to consider

• Industry requirements: Healthcare, financial services, and government entities have unique mandates.
• Risk tolerance: Understand your organization’s risk appetite and threat profile.
• Compliance obligations: Consider legal, contractual, and ethical responsibilities.

Once you have understood what is a cybersecurity framework and evaluated these factors, choosing the right framework is the next step. Selecting a framework aligned with your needs ensures that cybersecurity becomes a business enabler — not just a checkbox exercise.

Why harmonization matters in a fragmented landscape

With so many frameworks available, harmonization becomes a necessity. HITRUST simplifies this complexity by integrating dozens of global standards into one framework. A HITRUST certification provides assurance across multiple domains, making it easier to communicate trust to customers and regulators.

Using a strong framework as the foundation of cyber resilience

Next steps for building a scalable, compliant security program

Understanding what is a cybersecurity framework is just the beginning. To truly build cyber resilience, organizations must

• Evaluate current gaps and align them with a chosen framework.
• Engage stakeholders across IT, compliance, and leadership.
• Prioritize implementation based on risk and impact.
• Use assessments and audits to track maturity and progress.

You can scale your security program while staying compliant and confident in the face of evolving threats if you start with the right foundation. Using a robust cybersecurity framework brings structure, clarity, and confidence to your risk management efforts.

Learn more about the HITRUST CSF and understand how it helps organizations navigate cyber risk with confidence.