Standards Comparison

    RoHS

    Mandatory
    2011

    EU regulation restricting hazardous substances in EEE

    VS

    HITRUST CSF

    Voluntary
    2022

    Certifiable framework harmonizing 60+ security standards

    Quick Verdict

    RoHS restricts hazardous substances in EEE for EU market access, while HITRUST CSF provides certifiable security controls for healthcare. Manufacturers adopt RoHS to sell legally; providers use HITRUST for trusted assurance and compliance.

    Hazardous Substances

    RoHS

    Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS 2)

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Homogeneous material concentration limits (0.1% default)
    • Open scope for all EEE unless excluded
    • Time-limited exemptions via delegated acts
    • Technical file and EU Declaration of Conformity
    • Tiered verification using IEC 62321 methods
    Information Security

    HITRUST CSF

    HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF)

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

    Key Features

    • Harmonizes 60+ standards into unified controls
    • Risk-based tailoring via organizational factors
    • Five-level maturity scoring model
    • e1/i1/r2 certifiable assessment paths
    • Inheritance from cloud providers and vendors

    Detailed Analysis

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

    RoHS Details

    What It Is

    RoHS (Directive 2011/65/EU, recast as RoHS 2) is an EU regulation restricting hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Its primary purpose is protecting health and environment by limiting risks in EEE waste management, alongside WEEE Directive. Scope covers all EEE unless excluded, using homogeneous material approach with maximum concentration values (MCVs): 0.1% for most, 0.01% for cadmium.

    Key Components

    • Ten restricted substances (Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr(VI), PBB, PBDE, four phthalates).
    • Annexes III/IV for time-limited exemptions.
    • Conformity via technical documentation (EN IEC 63000), EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC), CE marking.
    • IEC 62321 for tiered testing (XRF screening, ICP-MS/GC-MS confirmation). No certification; self-declaration with market surveillance.

    Why Organizations Use It

    Mandated for EU market access; prevents fines, recalls, bans. Drives supply chain governance, substitution innovation, recyclability. Enhances ESG, level playing field, global compliance baseline.

    Implementation Overview

    Risk-based: scope analysis, BoM review, supplier declarations, testing high-risk materials, technical files (10-year retention). Applies to manufacturers/importers/distributors of EEE; phased (3-18 months by size). Cross-functional: design, procurement, quality.

    HITRUST CSF Details

    What It Is

    HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) is a certifiable, threat-adaptive control framework that consolidates requirements from 60+ standards like HIPAA, NIST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR. It employs a risk-based, maturity-driven approach for security and privacy assurance.

    Key Components

    • 19 assessment domains and hierarchical structure (14 categories, 49 objectives, ~156 specifications).
    • Five-level maturity model: Policy, Procedure, Implemented, Measured, Managed.
    • Risk factors for tailoring; e1/i1/r2 certification paths via MyCSF platform.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Meets multi-regulatory demands with 'assess once, report many' mappings.
    • Provides credible third-party assurance, reduces audit fatigue.
    • Enhances risk management, stakeholder trust, market access in healthcare/finance.
    • Reported 99.4% breach-free rate among certified entities.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: scoping, gap analysis, remediation, validated assessment.
    • Involves policies, evidence automation, assessor engagement.
    • Suited for regulated industries; requires MyCSF, external assessors for certification.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    RoHS
    Hazardous substances in EEE materials
    HITRUST CSF
    Information security and privacy controls

    Industry

    RoHS
    Electronics manufacturing, global
    HITRUST CSF
    Healthcare and regulated sectors, global

    Nature

    RoHS
    Mandatory EU product regulation
    HITRUST CSF
    Voluntary certifiable framework

    Testing

    RoHS
    XRF/ICP-MS on homogeneous materials
    HITRUST CSF
    Maturity-based assessor validation

    Penalties

    RoHS
    Fines, recalls by Member States
    HITRUST CSF
    Loss of certification, no legal fines

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about RoHS and HITRUST CSF

    RoHS FAQ

    HITRUST CSF FAQ

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