Standards Comparison

    HITRUST CSF

    Voluntary
    2022

    Certifiable framework harmonizing 60+ security standards

    VS

    ISO 22301

    Voluntary
    2019

    International standard for business continuity management systems

    Quick Verdict

    HITRUST CSF delivers certifiable security assurance harmonizing 60+ frameworks for regulated industries, while ISO 22301 builds BCMS resilience against disruptions for all sectors. Companies adopt HITRUST for compliance efficiency and trust; ISO 22301 for recovery planning and continuity.

    Information Security

    HITRUST CSF

    HITRUST Common Security Framework

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Harmonizes 60+ frameworks into certifiable assessment
    • Risk-based tailoring via structured factors
    • Five-level maturity model (policy to managed)
    • Centralized MyCSF platform and assessor ecosystem
    • Assess once, report many via mappings
    Business Continuity

    ISO 22301

    ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    0-6 months

    Key Features

    • PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
    • Business Impact Analysis (BIA) for prioritization
    • Risk assessment and recovery strategies
    • Leadership commitment and policy requirements
    • Seamless integration with ISO 27001

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    HITRUST CSF Details

    What It Is

    HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) is a certifiable, threat-adaptive control framework consolidating requirements from 60+ standards like HIPAA, NIST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR. It employs a risk-based, maturity-driven approach with hierarchical controls across 19 domains.

    Key Components

    • 19 assessment domains covering governance, technical safeguards, and resilience.
    • 14 categories, 49 objectives, ~156 specifications with tiered implementation levels.
    • **Five-level maturity modelPolicy, Procedure, Implemented, Measured, Managed.
    • e1/i1/r2 certification paths via MyCSF platform and authorized assessors.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Rationalizes multi-regulatory compliance (assess once, report many).
    • Provides credible third-party assurance for healthcare, finance.
    • Reduces breach risk (99.4% certified breach-free), lowers insurance costs.
    • Enhances market access, TPRM efficiency, competitive differentiation.

    Implementation Overview

    Multi-phase: scoping, readiness/gap analysis, remediation, validated assessment, continuous monitoring. Applies to regulated industries handling sensitive data; requires MyCSF, evidence management, assessor validation for certification (1-2 years validity).

    ISO 22301 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 22301:2019 is an international certification standard for establishing, implementing, and improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). It provides a flexible, risk-based framework to protect against disruptions, ensure recovery, and maintain critical operations using a PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle.

    Key Components

    • 10 clauses (4-10 core), including context analysis, leadership, planning with BIA and risk assessment, operations, evaluation, and improvement.
    • No prescriptive controls; tailored to organization via Annex SL high-level structure.
    • Certification valid 3 years with annual audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Enhances resilience, reduces downtime and losses from cyber threats, disasters.
    • Meets regulations like NIS Directive; builds stakeholder trust.
    • Offers competitive edges, lower insurance, procurement advantages.

    Implementation Overview

    • Gap analysis, BIA, policy development, training, testing, audits.
    • Applicable to all sizes/sectors; 60 days to 6 months typical.
    • Two-stage certification process.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    HITRUST CSF
    Comprehensive security/privacy controls across 19 domains
    ISO 22301
    Business continuity management system for disruptions

    Industry

    HITRUST CSF
    Healthcare primary, all regulated industries globally
    ISO 22301
    All industries/sectors worldwide, any size

    Nature

    HITRUST CSF
    Certifiable control framework, voluntary assurance program
    ISO 22301
    Voluntary international standard for BCMS certification

    Testing

    HITRUST CSF
    Maturity scoring, validated assessments by external assessors
    ISO 22301
    Internal audits, management reviews, exercises/tabletops

    Penalties

    HITRUST CSF
    Loss of certification, no legal penalties
    ISO 22301
    Loss of certification, no direct legal penalties

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about HITRUST CSF and ISO 22301

    HITRUST CSF FAQ

    ISO 22301 FAQ

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