HITRUST vs. HIPAA: The Similarities and Difference
HIPAA Compliance Audit & Attestation Services
Our HIPAA Compliance Audit & Attestation Service Offerings are designed to support organizations at different stages of their compliance and assurance journey
Why it matters
Organizations handling protected health information (PHI) face several challenges in achieving and maintaining HIPAA compliance.
Limited clarity on HIPAA Security, Privacy, and Breach Notification Rule applicability
Fragmented security and privacy controls across systems and vendors
us regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.
Inconsistent risk assessments and documentation gaps
Limited executive visibility into compliance and breach exposure
Audit readiness challenges for customers, regulators, and partners
Our Approach
FIve step approach
Our HIPAA engagements follow a structured and transparent lifecycle to guide organizations through every stage of HIPAA compliance assessment and validation.
Scoping & Applicability Assessment
Define PHI flows, systems, locations, and regulatory applicability.
Detailed HIPAA Control Assessment
Evaluate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.Identify compliance gaps, risk severity, and remediation priorities.
Remediation Advisory
Practical guidance to close gaps and strengthen controls.
Independent Validation, Audit, & Attestation
Issue a HIPAA compliance assessment report and certification letter.
Continuous compliance & Executive Briefing
To ensure that compliance is maintained, monitored, and defensible over time. Leadership-level summary of compliance posture and risk exposure.
Service offerings
Our HIPAA Compliance Audit & Attestation Services Offerings are designed to support organizations at different stages of their compliance and assurance journey – ranging from readiness and assurance to sustained organizational awareness. Each service can be delivered independently or as part of an integrated compliance program.
Our HIPAA Readiness Assessment helps organizations determine HIPAA applicability, evaluate current-state compliance, and identify gaps across administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. Scope includes:
HIPAA Privacy Rule and Security Rule applicability assessment
Evaluation of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards
HIPAA Breach Notification Rule readiness review
Risk analysis and risk management assessment
Review of policies, procedures, and supporting documentation
Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and PHI flow validation
Our HIPAA Audit & Attestation service provides independent validation of HIPAA compliance and is designed to align seamlessly with SOC 2 Type I and Type II attestation engagements, enabling a unified assurance approach.
Scope includes:
Independent assessment of HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules
Validation of control design and operating effectiveness
Evidence-based testing aligned with audit and attestation standards
Mapping of HIPAA requirements to SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, where applicable
Issuance of a HIPAA audit report and attestation / compliance letter
Our organizational-level HIPAA awareness services strengthen compliance culture across the enterprise.
Scope includes:
HIPAA awareness sessions for leadership and workforce
Role-based training aligned to HIPAA responsibilities
Validation of workforce understanding and acknowledgment
Awareness support aligned with audit and compliance expectations
BENEFITS
Organizations leveraging SISA’s HIPAA services realize measurable, customer-driven outcomes that go beyond compliance checklists:
Actionable Compliance Readiness
Achieve a clear baseline of HIPAA compliance through the HIPAA Readiness Assessment Report, enabling organizations to address gaps proactively before audits or attestation.
Independent, Audit-Ready Assurance
Obtain HIPAA Audit Reports and SOC 2–aligned attested reports, providing evidence-based assurance to regulators, customers, and partners.
Sustained Operational Compliance
Embed continuous compliance and workforce awareness, ensuring that controls remain effective, risks are mitigated proactively, and organizational policies are consistently applied.
Executive Visibility and Risk Insight
Leadership receives clear, concise insights into compliance posture, risk exposure, and remediation progress, enabling informed decisions and effective governance.
Enhanced Trust and Market Confidence
Demonstrate to patients, partners, and stakeholders that PHI is protected, compliance is verifiable, and organizational processes meet industry standards—supporting customer retention and business growth.
WHY SISA
SISA’s HIPAA services are grounded in a forensic-driven, audit-led, and industry-informed assurance philosophy. Our approach goes beyond checklist-based compliance to deliver assurance that is regulator-aligned, evidence-driven, and operationally meaningful.
Forensic-Driven Thought Process:
SISA brings a forensic mindset to HIPAA assessments and audits, evaluating controls through the lens of how they would withstand a real-world security or privacy incident.
Unified Audit Approach:
SISA applies a Unified Audit Approach that aligns HIPAA requirements with overlapping control objectives across these frameworks to eliminate duplicate testing and fragmented audits and deliver consistent, enterprise-wide assurance outcomes
Risk-based, Evidence-Centric & Audit-Defensible Delivery:
All SISA HIPAA engagements are executed with audit and attestation readiness as a core design principle with evidence-backed validation of control design and structured documentation suitable for audits, customer reviews, and regulatory inquiries
Executive-Ready Outcomes:
Our reporting is designed to serve multiple stakeholders simultaneously providing executives with clear insight into compliance posture, security teams with actionable findings and customers and partners with credible assurance artifacts
Multi-location delivery and integrated GRC expertise:
Our proven delivery across multi-location and cloud environments is complemented by deep expertise in integrating HIPAA into enterprise GRC and cybersecurity programs.
Want to know more?
FAQs
HIPAA compliance requires healthcare organizations and their business associates to implement physical, network, and process security measures to protect electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) from unauthorized access or data breaches.
The framework is built on three primary components: the Privacy Rule (governing use and disclosure), the Security Rule (mandating technical safeguards for ePHI), and the Breach Notification Rule.
A Business Associate is any third-party vendor or service provider (such as cloud hosts, billing services, or IT consultants) that handles, stores, or processes ePHI on behalf of a primary healthcare provider (the Covered Entity).
The Security Rule specifies the operational framework required to protect ePHI. It mandates three types of safeguards: Administrative (policies and training), Physical (facility access), and Technical (encryption and access controls).
Yes, conducting an accurate and thorough organizational risk analysis is a foundational and mandatory requirement under the HIPAA Security Rule to identify vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI.
A breach is the acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of protected health information in a manner not permitted under the Privacy Rule, which compromises the security or privacy of the data (e.g., a ransomware attack or insider theft).
Penalties are tiered based on the level of negligence, ranging from $137 to over $68,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $2 million. Willful neglect can also lead to criminal charges and severe reputational damage.
SISA conducts comprehensive HIPAA risk assessments. We evaluate your technical defenses, administrative policies, and physical safeguards, helping you align with the HIPAA Security Rule to protect patient data and avoid severe regulatory penalties.
The healthcare industry is the primary focus of HIPAA, including hospitals, clinics, and health insurance providers. However, it also strictly applies to the IT, SaaS, and cloud hosting industries that serve as "Business Associates" handling electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) on behalf of healthcare providers.
Hear what our customers say
We would highly recommend SISA to any organization seeking to enhance their data security and achieve certification. Their expertise, personalized approach, and thorough support set them apart from other providers. With their help, we were able to not only meet ISO 27001 requirements but also improve our overall security practices, giving us peace of mind in knowing that our data is protected.
Siddharth Paigwar
Manager - Cybersecurity, Finnable Technologies
Our experience with SISA’s team through the rigorous HITRUST certification process exceeded our expectations. SISA’s team demonstrated deep expertise, a proactive approach and unwavering commitment to our success. Their invaluable guidance ensured we stayed on track. We highly recommend SISA to any organization pursuing HITRUST certification.
Rajkumar Aich
Senior Manager, Alorica
SISA’s continuous support and regular audits, powered by their advanced monitoring and reporting tools, ensured that our ISMS remained up-to-date and effective against emerging threats. SISA’s team demonstrated a deep understanding of our unique needs and challenges. Their approach was not just professional but also highly collaborative.
Yazan Al-Mallah
Information Security Senior Officer, Network International
SISA’s support was especially invaluable as we navigated the complexities and nuances of this major new version of the PCI standards, particularly in our first year applying these requirements to new backend architecture. Their technical guidance, clarity in determining applicable criteria, insights into relevant evidence for our environment, and exceptional project management and follow-up added significant value to our engagement and made the entire process significantly smoother and more efficient.
Ben Roberts
CTO & CISO, Nutrislice Inc
A heartfelt thank you to SISA’s team for their invaluable support and guidance throughout our ISO 27001 certification journey. Their expertise, dedication, and proactive approach made the process seamless and efficient. We truly appreciate your efforts in helping us strengthen our security framework and achieve compliance successfully!
Upendhra Neelam
GRC Specialist, Innoviti Technologies
We highly recommend SISA’s ISO 27001 certification and audit surveillance services to other organizations. The structured approach, deep expertise, and hands-on guidance significantly streamlined our compliance journey. A heartfelt thank you to SISA’s team for their invaluable support and guidance throughout our ISO 27001 certification journey. Their expertise, dedication, and proactive approach made the process seamless and efficient.
Devender Rewadia
AM - IT, Global Assure
SISA’s unwavering commitment to the project was key to success of all our engagements. Their balanced approach has been instrumental in helping us achieve our goals on the agreed timelines. Their dedication ensures that we can always count on them to deliver on time, every time.
Omar Elwy
Head of InfoSec GRC, eFinance
SISA went beyond helping our Bank meet audit requirements; they added tangible value by strengthening our overall information security posture and enabling continuous improvement, which is critical for ongoing compliance and resilience.
Getachew Bualew
Team Leader, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
We are incredibly grateful to SISA for their unwavering support and expert guidance throughout our HITRUST Certification journey. The SISA team demonstrated an exceptionally proactive and professional approach. They exhibited extensive understanding of the HITRUST framework, helping us navigate compliance challenges with complete confidence and clarity. We highly recommend SISA to any organization seeking a reliable and knowledgeable advisor for their HITRUST or broader compliance initiatives.
Prashant Poojari
Senior Director - GRC, Exela Technologies
SISA’s support during our first-ever third-party Data Protection Impact Assessment was instrumental. Their comprehensive documentation templates enabled a swift rollout of internal policies and procedures for privacy. The audit team was highly responsive, providing round-the-clock assistance and addressing all queries from initiation to closure, including timely reminders and meticulous tracking. Keep up the excellent work!
Aditya Mathur
Senior Manager - Information Security, Go Payments
