Introduction

In 2026, the AI threat landscape has evolved from theoretical risks to rapid, automated, and highly sophisticated attacks that outpace human defenders. AI is no longer just a tool for innovation but a primary target and weapon, with malicious actors leveraging it to accelerate attack cycles. From AI-generated voice scams that mimic CEOs to phishing emails crafted by LLMs that outsmart spam filters and fool trained professionals, the threat landscape is evolving faster than most organizations can keep up.  

IBM's 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report measured AI use in 1 in 6 breaches (16%) worldwide, with phishing (37% of attacker-AI cases) and deepfake impersonation (35%) the dominant playbooks. Interestingly, while 13% of organizations reported breaches of AI models or applications, 97% of them reported not having AI access controls in place, indicating a gap between AI adoption and oversight that threat actors are starting to exploit.  

Traditional cybersecurity frameworks were not built specifically to address these evolving AI risks. Organizations now require a more structured approach to governing AI systems, securing AI-driven workflows, and establishing accountability around AI usage. This is where the HITRUST AI Security Assessment becomes increasingly relevant.

What Is the HITRUST AI Security Assessment?

The HITRUST AI Security Assessment is a structured framework designed to help organizations evaluate and strengthen the security, governance, privacy, and risk management controls surrounding artificial intelligence systems.

Built on HITRUST’s broader assurance and control framework expertise, the assessment focuses on the unique risks introduced by AI technologies, including generative AI, machine learning models, AI-powered automation, and third-party AI platforms.

Unlike conventional security assessments that primarily focus on infrastructure, networks, endpoints, and applications, the HITRUST AI Security Assessment extends governance into areas such as AI model integrity, AI lifecycle risks, AI data exposure, and AI operational oversight.  

It harmonizes AI security-specific threats discussed in nearly two dozen authoritative sources, including ISO, NIST and OWASP and multiple commercial AI security sources and analyzes these requirements to arrive at 44 prescriptive controls.  

Key Features of HITRUST AI Security Framework

The HITRUST AI Security Assessment incorporates multiple governance and security domains that collectively address the AI lifecycle.

• Comprehensive Control Set: The assessment comprises up to 44 controls specifically tailored to AI, addressing everything from data privacy to the AI model resiliency, ensuring robust protection.

• Tailored Control Selection: Organisations can choose controls based on their specific AI deployment needs, enabling a flexible, risk-based approach.

• Rigorous Assurance Mechanism: Organisations undergo rigorous independent testing and centralised reviews for their AI systems, adding a layer of trust to their security practices.

• Proactive Threat Adaptation: HITRUST updates its controls frequently to keep pace with the rapidly evolving threat landscape.

• Practical, Applicable Solution: HITRUST harmonised controls from NIST, ISO, OWASP, and other standards into a single framework with prescriptive requirements that are easy to understand and implement.

• Efficiency through inheritance: Organisations can inherit controls from their cloud service providers or other vendors that already have HITRUST certifications to make their assessment process more efficient. Major cloud service providers were involved in the development of this solution, making it easier for their customers to get certified.

Scope and Application of HITRUST AI Security Framework

The HITRUST AI Security Assessment is intended to meet the needs of providers of AI solutions and focuses on the security of the overall AI system, not just the usage of AI systems. The assessment provides security and trust for AI Application and AI Platform providers of any size and in all industries. It is mainly relevant for:

• AI platform and application providers that need to certify operational AI systems

• Organizations that develop or deploy AI solutions for external customers

• Security, risk, and compliance leaders managing AI governance and assurance

• Procurement, legal, and executive teams seeking trusted AI assurance from vendors

How HITRUST AI Security Assessment Differs from Traditional Security Frameworks

Traditional cybersecurity frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and NIST provide strong foundations for enterprise security governance. However, they were not originally designed to address the operational complexities and risks introduced by AI systems. The HITRUST AI Security Assessment introduces a more AI-centric approach.

Most of the traditional frameworks demonstrate that an organization has implemented an AI governance; showing policies exist, responsibilities are defined, and AI-related activities are overseen through a formal management system. The HITRUST AI Security Assessment and Certification addresses a different and increasingly urgent problem: proving that deployed AI systems are secure. Rather than evaluating governance maturity, HITRUST validates whether security controls are implemented, tested, and effective in operational AI environments. Every applicable HITRUST AI security control must be implemented and tested for certification.

Conclusion: A future-ready approach to AI security

The accelerating AI adoption across enterprises creates an entirely new operational risk layer that requires dedicated oversight. From model manipulation and data leakage to third-party AI exposure and governance gaps, organizations are fraught with unique risks introduced by AI systems. The HITRUST AI Security Assessment provides organizations with a structured, adaptable and trusted framework to confidently navigate the evolving AI landscape. By certifying systems and environments, HITRUST delivers clear proof that AI systems are protected, enabling organizations to make confident, defensible third-party risk decisions at scale.

As a HITRUST-authorized external assessor organization and a leading provider of compliance-led certifications, SISA is equipped to deliver AI security assessments through its end-to-end HITRUST services. With deep compliance expertise combined with forensics insights and backed by full-stack AI security suite SISA PRISM, SISA enables organizations to secure their AI deployments through continuous monitoring and a single, proactive framework.  

Contact us today to learn how we can guide you through the full HITRUST lifecycle covering assessment, certification and re-certification.