WHO SHOULD CONSIDER HITRUST AI RM?

If your organization uses, develops, or deploys AI technologies, you should seriously consider adopting HITRUST’s AI RM Assessment. Whether you’re in healthcare, finance, manufacturing, or retail, AI is transforming industries. But with these benefits come new and unique risks like security vulnerabilities, ethical concerns, and regulatory compliance challenges. HITRUST’s AI RM Assessment addresses these issues head-on, helping you stay ahead in managing AI risk. It offers 51 practical controls, harmonized with leading global standards such as ISO/IEC 23894:2023 and NIST, to ensure comprehensive risk management tailored to AI systems.

If you are an Existing HITRUST Client?

Existing HITRUST clients should see this as a natural progression to extend their risk management into the AI space. For those already leveraging HITRUST frameworks like e1, i1, or r2, the AI RM Assessment is a valuable extension of your current risk management practices. By integrating AI-specific governance into your broader compliance strategy, you can streamline how you manage AI risks without duplicating efforts.

If you are New to HITRUST?

If you’re new to HITRUST, the AI RM Assessment is an ideal entry point. It provides a structured, accessible framework to manage AI risks without requiring a full-scale certification. For companies just beginning to explore AI or those looking to establish robust AI governance, this assessment delivers clear guidance and practical insights into mitigating the risks associated with AI technology. For many organizations starting to use AI, this assessment is an essential first step toward establishing a strong AI governance program.

WHAT DOES HITRUST AI RM OFFER BEYOND COMPLIANCE?

While compliance with the 51 controls is a fundamental part of the HITRUST AI RM Assessment, the framework goes well beyond ticking boxes. It offers deep insights into how you can create robust AI governance models and ensure that AI technologies are used responsibly and ethically. Here are some of the features that AI RM has to offer.

1. Comprehensive AI Governance

The AI RM Assessment helps you develop a robust governance framework that addresses cybersecurity and broader concerns like AI’s environmental impact, transparency, and fairness. It encourages you to consider critical issues like carbon footprints and the ability to challenge AI decisions, ensuring a holistic approach to AI risk management.

2. Risk Management Beyond Compliance

The assessment isn’t just about meeting regulatory standards; it’s about understanding where your AI deployments might introduce risk and taking proactive steps to mitigate them. HITRUST’s AI RM framework helps you navigate the complex landscape of responsible AI use, by looking at areas like transparency, contestability, and ethical considerations.

3. Detailed Reporting and Visual Insights

The AI RM Assessment generates comprehensive reports that include scorecards and visual representations of your AI risk management maturity. These reports provide detailed feedback on your AI governance performance, highlighting areas of strength and pinpointing gaps that must be addressed. With these insights, you can make informed decisions about where to focus your risk mitigation efforts.

4. Bridge Gaps in AI-Specific Risk Management

While HITRUST’s general frameworks (e1, i1, and r2) cover comprehensive risk management, they do not focus specifically on AI systems. The AI RM Assessment fills this gap, ensuring that your organization can address the distinct challenges posed by AI, such as ethical risks and the potential for AI bias.

5. Seamless Integration with Existing HITRUST Certifications

For those with HITRUST certifications already in place, the AI RM Assessment is a seamless addition. It allows you to manage AI risk within the same governance structures, minimizing the need for additional resources or overhead. This integrated approach simplifies the process of extending risk management practices to cover AI deployments.

6. Cost-Effective, Practical Solutions

The AI RM Assessment is a practical and affordable solution for organizations that want to manage AI risk without committing to a full-scale HITRUST certification. It provides a clear, manageable framework that aligns with global standards, helping you understand where your AI governance needs improvement and how to fix it.

7. Example Insights from the AI RM Report

The AI RM Insights Report is a powerful tool that provides a detailed analysis of your organization’s AI risk management practices like maturity score reports which evaluates your organization’s policies, procedures, and implementation maturity across the 51 controls. Gap identification and remediation is another great report. Here are some key features of the report that not only highlights performance gaps but also ties these gaps to global standards like ISO and NIST. This helps your organization prioritize areas for remediation, ensuring you can address vulnerabilities before they become more significant.

CONCLUSION

The HITRUST AI RM Assessment is an essential tool for any organization using or deploying AI. It provides a comprehensive framework for managing the unique risks associated with AI technology while ensuring alignment with international standards. Whether you are an existing HITRUST client looking to extend your risk management practices or a new organization exploring AI governance for the first time, HITRUST’s AI RM Assessment offers a practical, affordable, and effective solution. By adopting this framework, you can confidently move forward, knowing that your AI systems are secure, responsible, and compliant with best practices.

Sean Dowling is the VP of Compliance and Head of HITRUST at Accorian, a global leader in cybersecurity and a Premier HITRUST Authorized External Assessor. Sean is a HITRUST Assessor Council member and was directly involved in developing the HITRUST AI RM Assessment.