What is HITRUST CSF (HITRUST Common Security Framework)?
A control framework + certification program originally built for healthcare; now broadened beyond healthcare. Maps to HIPAA, NIST CSF, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, GDPR, and others — letting one audit cover multiple frameworks. Three certification tiers: HITRUST e1, i1, r2.
Full explanation
HITRUST CSF is the dominant security framework for US healthcare SaaS. The certification (HITRUST r2 is the most rigorous) is essentially a pre-mapped multi-framework audit: the auditor verifies controls against HITRUST's mapped catalog, and the certificate satisfies HIPAA + NIST CSF + ISO 27001 + a dozen other frameworks at once. Common path for healthcare-adjacent SaaS: HIPAA-aligned + SOC 2 Type II + HITRUST r2. Costs $50K-$300K for a typical mid-stage SaaS; timeline 6-12 months. e1 (entry-level, ~44 controls) is faster; r2 (~250+ controls) is the gold standard.
Example
A health-tech SaaS targeting hospital systems pursues HITRUST r2 because their largest customer prospects (hospital systems, payer networks) require it as a vendor onboarding gate. The certificate covers HIPAA + NIST CSF + ISO 27001 mappings — saving them three separate audits.
Related
FAQ
Do I need HITRUST instead of HIPAA?
HIPAA is law (covered entities and business associates must comply). HITRUST is a voluntary certification that demonstrates HIPAA compliance + much more. If hospital-system or payer customers ask for HITRUST, you need both. Smaller healthcare-adjacent vendors often start with HIPAA-aligned + SOC 2 and add HITRUST when the customer demand justifies the cost.
Which HITRUST tier?
e1 for early-stage demonstrating baseline maturity. i1 for mid-stage. r2 for gold-standard healthcare vendor work — the certification largest customers expect.