Recently, HITRUST, a leading data protection standards body, identified and addressed a critical issue affecting its widely adopted Common Security Framework (CSF) versions 11.4.0 and 11.5.0. Here’s a clear breakdown of what the issue involves, its impact, and what your organization needs to do next.
HITRUST discovered missing requirement statements in specific r2-validated assessments created under versions 11.4.0 and 11.5.0. This gap affects organizations using these particular versions for their assessments, potentially overlooking critical compliance requirements. Fortunately, HITRUST quickly moved to rectify this by releasing updated versions: 11.4.1 and 11.5.1.
Importantly, this issue does not affect all assessment types, only certain r2 assessments were impacted. Assessments classified as e1 or i1 remain unaffected, highlighting the targeted nature of the issue.
HITRUST has proactively reviewed all impacted assessments and informed both Assessor Organizations and Assessed Entities directly about any missing requirements. To remediate the issue, HITRUST will initiate an automatic upgrade of all affected assessments on May 29, 2025. This upgrade will seamlessly transition impacted assessments to the updated framework versions, 11.4.1 or 11.5.1, incorporating all previously missing statements.
For organizations wishing to resolve this immediately, manual upgrades are available right now, allowing you to address compliance gaps proactively and ahead of schedule.
Organizations impacted by the missing requirement statements have two clear choices:
Organizations whose assessments were unaffected will experience a smooth automatic upgrade. Although these assessments will also transition to the new version, no new requirement statements will be added, ensuring consistency and no additional compliance burdens.
This HITRUST update underscores the importance of continuously monitoring compliance frameworks for potential gaps. By addressing this issue swiftly, HITRUST ensures organizations can maintain accurate, reliable compliance assessments without significant disruption.
Organizations should verify the status of their assessments immediately, communicate proactively with stakeholders, and consider the implications carefully before deciding to opt-out. Proactive upgrades can help minimize future compliance risks and simplify your assessment processes, ensuring you stay ahead of regulatory and industry standards.
Acknowledging the inconvenience caused, HITRUST has improved internal monitoring mechanisms within its MyCSF platform. These enhancements are designed to proactively identify and prevent similar issues, ensuring ongoing confidence in the robustness and reliability of HITRUST assessments moving forward.
Responding promptly to this notification and upgrading your HITRUST assessments can safeguard your organization from potential compliance gaps and future regulatory complexities. Stay informed, proactive, and prepared to ensure your organization’s cybersecurity compliance remains robust and reliable.
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