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HITRUST, the global leader in cybersecurity assurance, offers robust security certifications that empower organizations to demonstrate their cyber maturity. SOC 2 is a security attestation (not a certification), which organizations are often required to pursue.
HITRUST e1 offers a more prescriptive and accurate evaluation compared to SOC 2, but it is possible for organizations that have a SOC 2 or are required to pursue it to leverage their work and streamline attaining a HITRUST e1. Let’s explore how.
Granularity vs. broadness: Analyzing the difference
One of the key differences between HITRUST and SOC 2 is the granularity of their controls. HITRUST is known for its specific and detailed requirements. SOC 2 controls are often broad and generic. For instance, one of the SOC 2 controls (CC1.4) focuses on showing a commitment to attracting and developing competent individuals. This control is broad, leaving much to the organization’s discretion regarding its implementation.
HITRUST e1 takes a more granular approach by breaking it down into specific control requirements. It requires an organization to have basic security awareness training during onboarding. It also mandates dedicated phishing awareness training that helps employees identify and track potential phishing attempts. HITRUST e1 ensures that organizations thoroughly address critical aspects of information security awareness.
Therefore, you may meet SOC 2 controls by having basic processes in place, but you may not satisfy HITRUST e1 requirements if you don’t execute the specific steps mandated by HITRUST. HITRUST’s approach ensures you implement the right controls to protect data effectively.
Data backups: Comparing overlapping controls
Let's consider controls related to data backups to understand how they overlap between HITRUST e1 and SOC 2 assessments.
SOC 2 defines the responsibilities for data backup processes broadly, including tasks like authorizing, designing, developing, implementing, operating, and maintaining the processes. It offers organizations flexibility in how they meet the control requirements.
HITRUST e1 gives detailed requirements. It specifies that data backups must be created and maintained offline in an immutable format, stored at a remote location, and tested regularly to ensure they cannot be altered or deleted. Organizations must complete these steps to meet HITRUST’s requirements and ensure a higher standard of data protection.
This illustrates that a SOC 2 control might partially align with HITRUST e1’s requirements, but additional steps are necessary to meet HITRUST’s more rigorous standards. HITRUST adds depth and specificity to security measures, ensuring that critical aspects are comprehensively addressed and data is well-protected.
Efficient compliance: Leveraging overlapping controls
Despite the differences in their control requirements, there is a significant overlap between HITRUST and SOC 2. These overlaps enable you to leverage the work done for one framework when pursuing the other. 36 of the 44 HITRUST e1 requirements map to one or more SOC 2 controls across all five Trust Services Criteria (TSC). Excluding the privacy criterion, these requirements align with all or part of 75 of the 85 SOC 2 TSC, representing about 88% overlap.
This means that if you have already completed a SOC 2 assessment or are in the process of doing so, you may be able to reuse 80%–90% of the work when performing a HITRUST e1 assessment. You can significantly streamline your compliance efforts, save time, and reduce costs with this approach. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of the additional controls required by HITRUST e1 that are more granular or go beyond SOC 2’s generic guidelines.
HITRUST e1 certification: Pursuing over SOC 2
HITRUST e1’s prescriptive approach offers several advantages over SOC 2’s broader framework. HITRUST e1 ensures that critical aspects of cybersecurity are thoroughly evaluated and addressed. It reduces the risk of gaps in your security posture and enhances overall data protection. Unlike SOC 2, HITRUST e1 provides a reliable certification that demonstrates your commitment to safeguarding sensitive information and empowers you to build trust.
Get a HITRUST e1 certification along with, after, or instead of a SOC 2 assessment for an effective, trusted approach to cybersecurity and risk management. Leverage overlapping controls to efficiently pursue both and ensure you meet a high standard of data protection and cyber maturity. With HITRUST e1, you gain more than certification — you gain strategic advantages in today’s complex cybersecurity landscape.
How HITRUST e1 Controls Overlap with SOC 2 How HITRUST e1 Controls Overlap with SOC 2
AI is revolutionizing the way businesses operate, making processes faster, more efficient, and highly automated. But AI has its vulnerabilities like any other technology. As we integrate AI deeper into our operations, it becomes crucial to identify its security risks through threat modeling, understand AI threats such as prompt injection, and highlight why accountability and responsibility are fundamental in addressing these threats.
What is AI threat modeling?
Threat modeling is the process of identifying, understanding, and mitigating potential security risks in a system. AI threat modeling involves anticipating how attackers might exploit the AI system’s capabilities, learning how those attacks could compromise security, and implementing strategies to prevent or minimize the damage.
Let’s focus on one of the most significant attack methods that has gained attention with AI evolution.
What is prompt injection?
Prompt injection is a relatively new type of attack targeting AI systems, specifically those relying on Natural Language Processing (NLP) models like ChatGPT. The attacker manipulates the input or “prompt” given to the AI in order to get the system to perform unintended actions or reveal sensitive information.
Think of it as a kind of social engineering for AI. Just like a hacker might trick a human into revealing their password, an attacker using prompt injection tries to trick the AI into providing unauthorized information or performing unauthorized tasks.
How does prompt injection work?
Let’s consider a real-world scenario. Imagine you receive an email that appears to be from your printer manufacturer. It includes a seemingly harmless prompt asking the AI to check the printer’s status. However, there is a hidden message within this command that instructs the printer to send sensitive company data to the attacker’s server.
AI believes the command to be legitimate and inadvertently executes it, creating a significant security breach. In this scenario, the attacker doesn’t directly hack the AI. They exploit its ability to process and act on prompts without distinguishing between legitimate and malicious instructions.
Why accountability and responsibility are important?
Prompt injection attacks illustrate that AI systems are intelligent but not flawless. They are only as secure as the safeguards we put around them. This is where accountability and responsibility come into play.
Accountability
Organizations using AI must ensure they have robust security measures to guard against attacks like prompt injection attacks. This includes understanding the vulnerabilities within their AI systems and continuously monitoring for potential breaches. Accountability also extends to developers who create AI models, ensuring they build these systems with security in mind from the beginning.
Responsibility
AI’s power comes with the responsibility to use it ethically and securely. It’s essential to educate employees, partners, and customers about AI threats and mitigation strategies. Organizations must have clear policies on data protection and AI usage to prevent misuse.
The ethical use of AI is a shared responsibility. Everyone involved in developing, deploying, and interacting with AI systems must play their part in safeguarding them.
AI security is about creating a culture of awareness, responsibility, and accountability. If you’d like to dive deeper into how AI can be secured through shared responsibility, listen to the podcast episode, AI - Our Shared Responsibility. Richard Diver, a Solutions Architecture Specialist for Cloud Security, author of Guardians of AI, and Senior Manager of Story Design at Microsoft, delves into the framework of AI responsibility and breaks down the key layers of AI security.
Creating a secure AI environment is a collective effort. Make sure you do your part to protect the future of innovation.
Understanding AI Threats: Prompt Injection Attacks Understanding AI Threats: Prompt Injection Attacks
HITRUST Collaborate 2024 came to a close last week and we’re still buzzing with the energy and insights shared during the event. Held over 2.5 days at the Omni Star, right at the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters, it was a remarkable gathering of industry leaders, innovators, and professionals from across the risk, compliance, and security landscape.
Here are the key takeaways from this year’s Collaborate.
A look back and forward: HITRUST’s journey
HITRUST Founder and CEO, Daniel Nutkis along with other expert panelists took the stage to delve into the evolution of HITRUST and the broader security assurance industry. They shared insights on where we have come from, where we are now, and where we are headed. The discussion emphasized the advancements in security practices and HITRUST’s pivotal role in shaping the industry’s future.
Vision 2025: Continuous assurance takes center stage
One of the most exciting sessions was led by Robert Booker, HITRUST’s Chief Strategy Officer. He unveiled HITRUST’s vision for 2025, a strategic plan focused on delivering continuous assurance to meet the growing needs of the industry. This vision highlighted how HITRUST is innovating to integrate automated evidence collection, constant monitoring, and seamless results distribution to set a clear direction for the future of risk and compliance management.
AI assurance: The future of security
AI was a hot topic at HITRUST Collaborate 2024. Numerous keynotes and sessions were centered around AI assurances, emphasizing HITRUST’s latest initiatives like the AI Risk Management Assessment and the AI Security Certification. These developments are set to provide the industry with robust tools for AI risk management, ensuring a secure transition into the AI-driven future.
Integration with ServiceNow: Enhancing third-party risk management
HITRUST announced its plan to operationalize its third-party risk management methodologies through integration with leading platforms, starting with ServiceNow. This move is designed to streamline how organizations handle assessments and risk management processes. Apply for the Private Preview Program for efficient third-party risk management.
More than just sessions: Building connections
Beyond the informative sessions, the conference was also about making personal connections. Attendees got the chance to network, exchange ideas, and even enjoy some downtime on the practice field of Dallas Cowboys with food, drinks, and giant games.
Diverse discussions: From cyber insurance to ransomware
HITRUST Collaborate 2024 featured a wide range of discussions covering topics such as cyber insurance, ransomware threats, building a resilient cybersecurity workforce, global compliance trends, and more. These sessions offered valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing today’s compliance and security landscape.
Looking ahead: HITRUST Collaborate 2025
As we wrap up this year’s event, our sights are already set on HITRUST Collaborate 2025. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us, contributed, and made this event a success. Stay tuned and subscribe to the HITRUST YouTube channel to catch glimpses and highlights from this year’s event.
We look forward to seeing you and making it even more impactful next year.