Pen Testing versus Vulnerability Assessment

Feeling confused about security assessments? Are you unsure if a Vulnerability Assessment or Penetration Test is the right assessment for your organization? While both aim to test your defenses and security postures, they take very different approaches. This blog will untangle the mysteries of Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Testing, helping you choose the ideal champion to evaluate your security posture.

Vulnerability Assessments (VAs) leverage automated tools to scan for known vulnerabilities in your software and systems. They provide a high-level view of potential issues based on documented weaknesses. This approach is cost-effective and efficient, making it ideal for regular checkups.

Penetration Testing (PT) simulates real-world attacker behavior, actively exploiting existing vulnerabilities to measure their impact. This in-depth assessment reveals how attackers might gain access and cause damage. However, Penetration Tests are more complex, requiring specialized skills and manual effort, leading to higher costs.

Organizations look for these security assessments usually for legal, contractual or regulatory purposes. Once you understand the business objective(s) for your assessment, you can select the right option or probably conduct both tests. However, in our experience as cybersecurity professionals for over 12 years, leveraging the strengths of both VA and PT at different times is ideal for your cybersecurity strategy. 

 

Comparing Pen Testing and Vulnerability Assessment

Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (Pen Testing) are both critical components of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, but they serve different purposes and have distinct methodologies. Here’s a comparison of the two: 

Comparing Pen Testing & Vulnerability Assessment

1. Purpose

Vulnerability Assessment: The primary goal of a vulnerability assessment is to identify, assess, and categorize vulnerabilities in an organization’s systems, networks, and applications. It focuses on finding weaknesses in the security posture without exploiting them. It aims to provide a snapshot of potential weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers.

Pen Testing: Pen Testing, on the other hand, involves actively simulating real-world cyberattacks to exploit vulnerabilities and determine the extent to which an attacker can gain unauthorized access or compromise systems. The primary purpose is to evaluate an organization’s security posture and measure its ability to withstand attacks if they are attacked.

 

2. Scope & Frequency of Testing

Vulnerability Assessment: It usually has a broader scope, focusing on identifying as many vulnerabilities as possible, including low-risk ones. It provides a comprehensive list of potential weaknesses.

Pen Testing: Pen testing has a narrower scope and typically focuses on a specific target or set of targets. It aims to demonstrate the impact of exploited vulnerabilities and assess the overall security posture.

 

3. Methodology

Vulnerability Assessment: It typically involves automated or manual scans of systems and networks to identify known vulnerabilities. The assessment can include vulnerability scanning tools, configuration reviews, and system analysis.

Pen Testing: Pen testing involves ethical hackers (penetration testers) actively trying to exploit vulnerabilities to understand their potential impact and determine if unauthorized access or data breaches are possible. This may include attempting to gain unauthorized access, privilege escalation, social engineering, network probing, data exfiltration, or other attack scenarios.

 

4. Reporting

Vulnerability Assessment: The output of a vulnerability assessment is a list of identified vulnerabilities, their severity ratings, and recommendations for remediation. It provides a roadmap for improving security but doesn’t include detailed exploitation scenarios.

Pen Testing: Pen testing reports include information on the vulnerabilities exploited, the impact of successful attacks, the techniques used, and recommendations for mitigating the risks. These reports are more in-depth and provide actionable insights based on actual attack simulations.

5. Regulatory Compliance

Vulnerability Assessment: Vulnerability assessments are often almost required to comply with various regulations and standards, such as PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST 800-171, CMMC 2.0, etc. This is considered as the minimum required security program for several organizations.

Pen Testing: Penetration testing is also required, at times, by regulations and security standards, and it is more focused in the areas where customer data is stored. Organizations in the finance industry, product/cloud companies and the healthcare sector are required to conduct the pen testing as the cost of breaches is too high if the services/products are not secured properly. Pen testing is required in any certification audit including SOC 2 & ISO 27001, apart from several compliance standards including PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST 800-171, CMMC 2.0, etc.

 

6. Cost & Time

Vulnerability Assessment: Typically carried out through automated processes, this operation can take anywhere from a few hours to several hours to complete. The process, which includes identifying vulnerabilities and validating the results, is generally completed within a few days. The cost for this engagement usually begins at around USD 2,500.

Pen Testing: A considerable amount of work goes into collecting public information, conducting analysis, identifying vulnerabilities, and executing exploitation, including privilege escalation. Depending on the type of penetration testing – whether it’s network, application, or other asset types – the engagement typically spans 2 to 6 weeks. The cost for these services starts at approximately USD 15,000.

 

7. Benefit to your Cybersecurity Strategy

Vulnerability Assessment: The assessment tells you how your systems are configured and which policies & procedures you need to be changed to enhance security.

Pen Testing: It tells you how secure your systems are and which security controls are not implemented. After a Pen Test, you need to review your security tech & industry-specific best practices.

Do you need Pen Testing and Vulnerability Assessment or just one?

Vulnerability assessments are focused on identifying vulnerabilities, while penetration testing involves actively exploiting these vulnerabilities to assess their real-world impact. Both approaches are valuable in a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, with vulnerability assessments providing continuous monitoring and early detection of weaknesses and penetration testing helping organizations understand their readiness to defend against sophisticated attacks. Both are valuable tools in a cybersecurity program, and organizations often use a combination of both to strengthen their overall security posture.

Compliance Driven Decisions: If legal, contractual, or regulatory requirements demand specific assessments, you need to follow the mandated standards or clauses.

Understanding Your Needs: If the decision isn’t dictated by external factors, consider your specific needs. Vulnerability Assessments are excellent for regular scanning and identifying broad areas for improvement. They are cost effective and help you categorize vulnerabilities. Pen Testing is invaluable for uncovering deeper vulnerabilities and understanding their real-world consequences.

How databrackets can help you with Vulnerability Assessment & Pen Testing

Our Vulnerability Assessment & Pen Testing capabilities have been accredited by the A2LA for ISO 17020 Conformity assessment for inspection bodies. Our cybersecurity experts have several years of experience helping organizations across industries to meet regulatory and customer requirements.

Our client engagement starts with your business objective in mind. Vulnerability Assessment & Pen Testing is requested for several reasons:

  1. To secure your environment
  2. To meet certain regulatory compliance or certification requirements
  3. To fulfill a request made by your customer
  4. A combination of the reasons mentioned above

Once we understand what you require, our exercise focuses primarily on scoping of the engagement and setting expectations. We use a variety of tools depending on the type of test and systems in which we need to identify vulnerabilities & conduct pen testing. Our process includes:

  1. Discovery
  2. Identifying and finalizing assets
  3. Identifying vulnerabilities
  4. Exploitation of the vulnerabilities (Pen Testing)
  5. Validation of the issues identified
  6. Remediation/Recommendations
  7. Re-testing

We conduct a wide variety of Penetration Tests for our clients to evaluate the level of security in the following:

  1. Internal Network
  2. External Network
  3. Web Application
  4. Mobile Apps
  5. Cloud Infrastructure
  6. IoT Devices

Apart from using the tools best in the industry, we also focus on remediation and retesting of the environment. We just don’t give hundreds of pages of reports without any help to eliminate the risks. We help our clients prioritize the risks based on the context, patch the systems and select security tech, policies and procedures that are considered best practices in their industry. We also set up continuous monitoring after our tests to track any changes to your environment & send you timely alerts.

As we continue to work with our clients, we sharpen our understanding of your specific environment and system. This helps us to design cadence for continuous protection and monitoring using the right tools to ensure continual improvement and proactive identification of issues for the future. You can contact us for a customized quote or schedule a consultation.

 

databrackets overview

Our team of security experts has supported organizations across a wide variety of industries to align their processes with security frameworks like ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2, HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, NIST SP 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST SP 800-171, GDPR, CMMC 2.0 etc.

We are constantly expanding our library of assessments and services to serve organizations across industries. Schedule a Consultation if you would like to Connect with an Expert to understand how we can customize our services to meet your specific requirements.

Related Links:

Technologies To Detect And Prevent Ransomware Attacks 

Sources of Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Systems

What are the new controls added to ISO 27001 in 2022?

How to Select a Security Vendor

Author: Aditi Salhotra, Digital Marketing and Business Development, databrackets.com

Aditi is a Digital Marketing and Business Development Professional at databrackets.com. She graduated with honors in Marketing from Sheridan College, Canada. In addition to her current profile, she contributes to Product Development and Content Creation. She is a strong advocate of Good Cyber Hygiene and white hat SEO techniques. She is proud of the company’s mission to safeguard organizations from cyber threats and ensure their business continuity in adverse situations. 

Technical Expert: Srini Kolathur, Director, databrackets.com

The technical information presented in this blog has been carefully reviewed and verified by our Director, Srini Kolathur. Srini is results-driven security and compliance professional with over 20 years of experience supporting, leading, and managing global IT security, compliance, support, and risk assessment in fortune 100 companies. Some of his key areas of focus are SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework,  HIPAA, Security Risk Assessment, CMMC 2.0 among others. He is a CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP), CISSP, CISA, CISM, MBA. He is active in several community groups including Rotary International and TiE.

Can you submit a SOC 2 Report instead of a Vendor Security Questionnaire?

Over the last decade, service organizations have been asked to prove their level of cyber hygiene before they are awarded a contract. The RFQs and contracts of small-medium sized businesses, particularly SaaS providers typically include an annual Vendor Security Questionnaire, which is extensive and time-consuming. To save time, optimize costs and streamline resources, many SaaS providers have been opting to undergo a SOC 2 Examination and prove their compliance with industry-preferred Trust Services Criteria and security controls. This single report serves as proof since it is given by an independent and authorized CPA after their controls have been tested and it serves as an alternative to the Vendor Security Questionnaire. This blog is intended to help you compare a SOC 2 Report and a Vendor Security Questionnaire and decide which option works for you.  


Comparing a SOC 2 Report and a Vendor Security Questionnaire

A SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) report and a Vendor Security Questionnaire have some overlaps in terms of the controls they refer to. However, for some customers, they are not interchangeable. Here’s a brief overview of each:

SOC 2 Report

  • A SOC 2 report is an assessment of an organization’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
  • SOC 2 reports are conducted by independent third-party auditors and are designed to provide assurance to customers and partners about the security and privacy practices of a service provider.
  •  SOC 2 reports provide detailed information about the controls and processes in place, along with an auditor’s opinion on their effectiveness.
  • These reports are often requested by customers to assess a vendor’s security and compliance posture.

Vendor Security Assessment Questionnaire

  • These are typically questions answered  by vendors to their customers or partners. The number of questions can vary between 30 to 300, contingent upon the vendor’s risk profile. 
  • Vendor security questionnaires are used to gather information about a vendor’s security practices, policies, and controls.
  • They may be customized by the customer to align with their specific security requirements and concerns.
  • These documents help customers assess a vendor’s security readiness, but they are based on self-reported information provided by the vendor.

In most cases, a SOC 2 report provides more comprehensive and independent assurance about a vendor’s security practices compared to a vendor security questionnaire. However, some organizations may still require vendors to complete their own security questionnaires or submit a SOC 2 Report and provide additional documentation to address specific security concerns or requirements.


How a SOC 2 Report streamlines the Vendor Assessment Process

B2B Contracts & RFQs rely on a SOC 2 Report because it can streamline their vendor assessment process in several ways. Here’s how a SOC 2 report can achieve this: 

Benefits of a SOC 2 Report compared to a Vendor Security Questionnaire

1. Comprehensive Assessment: A SOC 2 audit involves a thorough examination of an organization’s controls and processes related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. The resulting report provides a comprehensive overview of the vendor’s security posture and compliance with industry standards.

 

2. Third-Party Verification: SOC 2 audits are conducted by authorized and independent third-party auditors, which enhances the credibility and reliability of the assessment. The fact that an impartial auditor has validated the vendor’s controls can reduce the need for the requesting organization to conduct its own extensive assessments.

 

3. Standardized Reporting: SOC 2 reports follow a standardized format with fixed criteria established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). This consistency makes it easier for the requesting organization to review and compare different vendors’ assessments, as they are presented in a comparable format.

 

4. Reduced Documentation Requests: Having a SOC 2 report implies that the vendor has already provided detailed documentation and evidence of its controls to the auditor. When requesting a SOC 2 report, the requesting organization can typically access this documentation, reducing the need for additional, redundant requests for the same information.

 

5. Saves Time and Cost: Conducting a full-scale security assessment of a vendor can be time-consuming and costly for both the vendor and the requesting organization. A SOC 2 report can expedite the assessment process, saving time and resources for both parties.

6. Trust and Confidence: A SOC 2 examination builds trust and confidence among customers and partners. It demonstrates the vendor’s commitment to security and compliance, which can lead to more successful and long-lasting business relationships.

 

7. Competitive Advantage: Having a SOC 2 report can give vendors a competitive advantage. Many customers prioritize vendors with SOC 2 certification because it simplifies the assessment process and reduces their own compliance and security risks.

 

While a SOC 2 report can streamline the vendor assessment process, it’s important to note that it may not completely eliminate the need for additional assessments or specific requirements tailored to the requesting organization’s needs. The level of scrutiny and specific requirements can still vary based on the nature of the vendor relationship and the sensitivity of the data or services involved. However, having a SOC 2 report as a foundation can significantly simplify and expedite the assessment process. 

 

Our Client Experience

We have numerous clients who have shared that they have had to dedicate considerable amounts of time to complete a range of vendor assessment questionnaires for their customers in regulated sectors. Their experienced security analysts or consultants from our team have dedicated 10-30 hours for each questionnaire and submitted an average of 10-20 questionnaires annually. However, strategic acquisition of third-party reports such as SOC 2 has allowed our clients to completely bypass this time-consuming process, thereby freeing up their schedule to focus on business-critical tasks. By being able to prove their commitment to security and privacy of data using a standardized format, they have been able to retain their customers and meet the requirement for documentation & evidence. 

How databrackets can help you with a Vendor Security Questionnaire

Our team of security experts conducts a thorough security assessment of your environment to understand your security controls, tools, techniques, processes & procedures. After this analysis, our customers can outsource the entire exercise of filling up Vendor Security Questionnaires to our team, as and when required. This has resulted in saving them an average of 400 hours of effort or 3-4 months, on an annual basis. Our team also engages with their customers on a need by need basis, to ensure they are fully supported in this endeavor. 

A SOC 2 Examination takes a much shorter amount of time compared to repetitive filling of Vendor Security Questionnaires. Based on our recommendation, several clients have undergone a SOC 2 Readiness Assessment with our experts followed by their SOC 2 Audit by an authorized CPA. Our SOC 2 package has helped them to present their evidence and company information in a streamlined manner through dbACE, our GRC Platform. Through this optimized process, they have saved precious time & money. 

While we recommend a SOC 2 Examination compared to an annual average of 400 hours of effort and time spent in repetitive filling of Vendor Security Questionnaires, we would also like to share that all SOC 2 Reports are not the same. A SOC 2 report provides detailed information about your security controls and processes, along with your auditor’s opinion of their effectiveness. The clarity and depth of your SOC 2 report depends on the expertise and reputation of the organization that has helped you prepare for your SOC 2 Audit and properly presented the evidence of how effective your controls are. When your evidence is presented with depth and accuracy, your auditor is able to gain a better understanding and evaluate your documentation. This clarity and depth impacts their opinion and subsequently your SOC 2 Report. 

Additionally, the quality of testing varies between SOC 2 Auditors. Some auditors go in-depth and this thorough evaluation discovers issues that you may not be aware of otherwise. This helps you to identify the risk and implement measures to help your organization. 

Hence, to have a SOC 2 Report that truly reflects your commitment to security and privacy, and which you can submit instead of a Vendor Security Questionnaire, you need to invest time and resources in the readiness process & work with a SOC 2 auditor who prioritizes a thorough evaluation.

How databrackets can help you with SOC 2 Readiness & Examination

databrackets works in conjunction with certified CPA firms to prepare our customers to get ready for a SOC 2 Examination and obtain a SOC 2 report. Some of the services by our security experts are:

  • Readiness Assessment & Recommendations
  • Testing of Controls, Vulnerability Assessment and Security Risk Assessment
  • Support to draft the Management Assertion for your SOC 2 Report

SOC 2 Examination by a certified CPA includes 

  • Selecting the Trust Services Criteria 
  • Finalizing the SOC 2 Audit Period
  • Scoping of the systems and applications
  • Sampling & reviewing the evidence and policies & procedures
  • Interviewing process owners
  • Analyzing the results 
  • Documenting & reporting

The CPA that you chose to work with can access all your evidence in a streamlined manner on dbACE – our GRC Platform.

databrackets overview

Our team of security experts has supported organizations across a wide variety of industries to align their processes with security frameworks like HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2, NIST SP 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST SP 800-171, GDPR, CMMC etc.

We are constantly expanding our library of assessments and services to serve organizations across industries. Schedule a Consultation if you would like to Connect with an Expert to understand how we can customize our services to meet your specific requirements.

Related Links:

Technologies To Detect And Prevent Ransomware Attacks 

Sources of Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Systems

What are the new controls added to ISO 27001 in 2022?

How to Select a Security Vendor

Author: Aditi Salhotra, Digital Marketing and Business Development, databrackets.com

Aditi is a Digital Marketing and Business Development Professional at databrackets.com. She graduated with honors in Marketing from Sheridan College, Canada. In addition to her current profile, she contributes to Product Development and Content Creation. She is a strong advocate of Good Cyber Hygiene and white hat SEO techniques. She is proud of the company’s mission to safeguard organizations from cyber threats and ensure their business continuity in adverse situations. 

Technical Expert: Srini Kolathur, Director, databrackets.com

The technical information presented in this blog has been carefully reviewed and verified by our Director, Srini Kolathur. Srini is results-driven security and compliance professional with over 20 years of experience supporting, leading, and managing global IT security, compliance, support, and risk assessment in fortune 100 companies. Some of his key areas of focus are SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework,  HIPAA, Security Risk Assessment, CMMC 2.0 among others. He is a CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP), CISSP, CISA, CISM, MBA. He is active in several community groups including Rotary International and TiE.

SOC 2 versus ISO 27001

Organizations frequently face a tough choice between SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications as a means to showcase their security maturity. Comparing the two security standards can be tough and the decision-making process can be complex, as each certification brings its own set of advantages and challenges. As certified security experts who regularly work with both frameworks, we will discuss details about each security standard to help you make an informed choice that aligns with your business objectives, industry standards, and the risk tolerance demanded by your customers.

 

What is SOC 2?

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a security standard for service organizations, developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). The SOC 2 framework is applicable to all technology service providers or SaaS Product companies that work with customer data. It specifies aspects of security that they need to follow while managing customer data.

SOC 2 Certification is based on 5 Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy of customer data. The SOC 2 framework does not provide a specific list of controls and tools. It merely cites the criteria required to maintain a high level of information security. It is up to each organization to establish the practices and processes relevant to their own objectives and operations. A SOC 2 report provides detailed information about the controls and processes in place, along with an auditor’s opinion on their effectiveness.

 

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is a globally respected information security standard. It was designed, regulated and continues to be updated by the International Organization for Standardization. It is officially referred to as ‘ISO/IEC 27001’ and is part of the ISO/IEC 27000 family of standards.

Even though ISO 27001 isn’t a legal mandate, organizations around the world prefer to work with B2B partners and vendors who are ISO 27001 certified. Its popularity is attributed to the fact that ISO 27001 controls evaluate the strength of an organization’s Information Security Management System (ISMS) and the 2022 version is designed to prevent advanced persistent threats.

 

Comparing SOC 2 and ISO 27001

SOC 2 compared to ISO 27001
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) and ISO 27001 are two different frameworks B2B companies use for assessing the ISMS of potential vendors and partners. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct differences. Here’s a comparison of SOC 2 and ISO 27001 in terms of their similarities and differences. 

Similarities between SOC 2 and ISO 27001

1. Information Security Focus:

Both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are focused on information security management. They aim to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data and systems.

2. Risk Management: Both frameworks emphasize the importance of identifying, assessing, and mitigating information security risks. They require organizations to have risk management processes in place.

3. Third-Party Audits:

Both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications involve third-party audits conducted by independent auditors or certification bodies to verify compliance with their respective standards.

4. Control Objectives: Both frameworks provide a set of control objectives or requirements that organizations must meet to achieve certification. These control objectives address various aspects of information security.

5. Continuous Improvement:

Both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 promote a culture of continuous improvement by requiring organizations to regularly assess and update their security measures.

 

Differences between SOC 2 and ISO 27001

1. Scope
SOC 2: Primarily focuses on service organizations, particularly those that provide services to other businesses like SaaS providers. SOC 2 reports are often used by customers to evaluate the security of service providers. ISO 27001: Can be applied to any type of organization, including service providers and manufacturing companies. It is not limited to service organizations.

2. Origin of the Framework

SOC 2: Developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and is widely recognized in the United States. ISO 27001: Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is an international standard recognized globally.

3. Certification versus Attestation

SOC 2: SOC 2 is not technically a certification; it is officially called a SOC 2 Examination. A SOC 2 Audit results in an attestation report, which provides information about the controls in place but does not result in certification. Organizations receive a SOC 2 Type 1 or Type 2 report. ISO 27001: Results in certification, indicating that an organization’s Information Security Management System (ISMS) complies with the ISO 27001 standard. Organizations receive ISO 27001 certification.

4. Control Framework

SOC 2: It does not provide a specific control framework but relies on predefined trust service criteria (e.g., security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy) that organizations must address. ISO 27001: Provides a comprehensive set of controls and control objectives which organizations have to implement.

5. Reporting Structure

SOC 2: Typically results in a Type 1 or Type 2 report that outlines the controls in place and their effectiveness during a specific period (Type 1 for a point in time, Type 2 for a period of time). ISO 27001: Results in a certificate issued by a certification body indicating that an organization’s ISMS complies with ISO 27001. It does not provide specific details on individual control effectiveness.

6. Cost

SOC 2 Readiness & Implementation Cost:  Starting at $15,000 +    Certification Cost: Starting at $10,000 + ISO 27001 Readiness & Implementation Cost: Starting at $20,000 + Certification Cost: Starting at $10,000 +

7. Time

SOC 2 Readiness & Implementation: 3-4 months for SMBs, maybe longer for large enterprises Certification: 3-6 months depending on the period of observation and 4-8 weeks subsequently for testing and reporting ISO 27001 Readiness & Implementation: 3-4 months for SMBs, maybe longer for large enterprises Certification: 3-6 weeks   In summary, both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are valuable frameworks for managing information security, but they differ in terms of scope, origin, certification vs. attestation, control framework, and reporting structure. Organizations should choose the framework that aligns best with their specific needs, industry, and geographic considerations. Additionally, some organizations may choose to pursue both certifications to meet the needs of different stakeholders.

How databrackets can help you with SOC 2

databrackets works in conjunction with certified CPA firms to prepare our customers to get ready for a SOC 2 Examination and obtain a SOC 2 report. Some of the services by our security experts are:
  • Readiness Assessment & Recommendations
  • Testing of Controls, Vulnerability Assessment and Security Risk Assessment
  • Support to draft the Management Assertion for your SOC 2 Report
SOC 2 Examination by a certified CPA includes 
  • Selecting the Trust Services Criteria 
  • Finalizing the SOC 2 Audit Period
  • Scoping of the systems and applications
  • Sampling & reviewing the evidence and policies & procedures
  • Interviewing process owners
  • Analyzing the results 
  • Documenting and reporting
The CPA that you chose to work with can access all your evidence in a streamlined manner on dbACE – our GRC Platform.

How databrackets can help you with ISO 27001

databrackets has a team of certified ISO Lead Auditors. We help organizations achieve their ISO goals by supporting them with:
  1. ISO 27001 Certification
  2. Do-It-Yourself ISO 27001 assessment toolkit
In our DIY (Do It Yourself) assessment toolkit all the clauses and controls stipulated by ISO 27001 standards are uploaded on our GRC Platform – dbACE. Customers need to upload their data along with evidence and mark the clause/controls’ ‘implementation’ status for Stage 1 and Stage 2 Assessments. Our ISO Lead auditors conduct an impartial assessment based on the evidence provided and record their findings on dbACE. This helps them communicate the results and seek corrective measures wherever necessary – all in one location. The dbACE interface makes the turnaround quicker and saves time, effort and, thereby, costs. The documentation for the audit from start-to-finish takes place on this platform. This includes the final report that reflects the status of the customer’s adherence to ISO 27001 standards and guidelines.

databrackets overview

Our team of security experts has supported organizations across a wide variety of industries to align their processes with security frameworks like HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2, NIST SP 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST SP 800-171, GDPR, CMMC etc. We are constantly expanding our library of assessments and services to serve organizations across industries. Schedule a Consultation if you would like to Connect with an Expert to understand how we can customize our services to meet your specific requirements.

Related Links:

Technologies To Detect And Prevent Ransomware Attacks 

Sources of Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Systems

What are the new controls added to ISO 27001 in 2022?

How to Select a Security Vendor

Author: Aditi Salhotra, Digital Marketing and Business Development, databrackets.com

Aditi is a Digital Marketing and Business Development Professional at databrackets.com. She graduated with honors in Marketing from Sheridan College, Canada. In addition to her current profile, she contributes to Product Development and Content Creation. She is a strong advocate of Good Cyber Hygiene and white hat SEO techniques. She is proud of the company’s mission to safeguard organizations from cyber threats and ensure their business continuity in adverse situations. 

Technical Expert: Srini Kolathur, Director, databrackets.com

The technical information presented in this blog has been carefully reviewed and verified by our Director, Srini Kolathur. Srini is results-driven security and compliance professional with over 20 years of experience supporting, leading, and managing global IT security, compliance, support, and risk assessment in fortune 100 companies. Some of his key areas of focus are SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework,  HIPAA, Security Risk Assessment, CMMC 2.0 among others. He is a CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP), CISSP, CISA, CISM, MBA. He is active in several community groups including Rotary International and TiE.

Is HITRUST Worth The Investment?

Blog banner image databrackets is HITRUST worth it?

What is HITRUST?

HITRUST, or Health Information Trust Alliance, is a non-profit organization that uses the ‘HITRUST approach’ to help the healthcare industry control data protection standards and effectively manage data, information risk, and compliance. It’s similar to HIPAA, but instead of being written and enforced by the federal government, HITRUST is regulated by a group of healthcare professionals.

HITRUST is a way for the healthcare sector to self-regulate security practices while also fixing some of HIPAA’s shortcomings and providing a PCI (Payment Card Industry)-like enforcement system for businesses to adopt. HITRUST is a recommended framework trusted by many larger healthcare companies, health networks, and hospitals to manage risk along with other frameworks.

 

Why is HITRUST important?

In the United States, HITRUST is the healthcare industry’s security framework getting adopted primarily in hospitals It sets an industry-wide standard for handling Business Associate compliance. For a variety of reasons, HITRUST is slowly getting adopted in the healthcare industry along with other certifications:

HITRUST is updated daily to keep healthcare organizations up to date on new regulations and security threats. It is the most frequently updated security framework, with periodic updates and annual audit revisions. This ensures that those who follow the HITRUST CSF(Common Security Framework) work tirelessly to ensure their safety.

Some large payers need HITRUST. On February 8, 2016, five major healthcare payers assured their business associates that they would comply with the HITRUST CSF within two years. As a result, companies must consider “what HITRUST entails” and “what changes are needed to be made to achieve and maintain certification.”

HITRUST Certification has the strictest requirements with high-risk data that can demonstrate that an entity is a leader in compliance because they have the certification to back it up.

Is HITRUST worth it?

HITRUST Certification won’t be easy.

Many business associates will find it challenging to obtain HITRUST CSF certification because the vast majority may be unprepared and caught off guard. This is due to the fact that many organizations, especially smaller vendors, lack the resources to complete HITRUST CSF Certification. Organizations must not only meet the CSF criteria, but a third party must also audit them before being approved, and they must be recertified every other year.

Several businesses are taken aback by the HITRUST certification. Why?

  • Firstly, the cost of assessment and assessor services are high. Budgets are often tight, and data protection may be a substantial investment as the cost might be too steep for small and medium enterprises, and HITRUST might be perceived as more expensive. For enterprises, HITRUST Certification could be seen as an investment rather than an expense
  • Many customers are hesitant to invest in HITRUST because they fear failing
  • A company choosing to get HITRUST certified, must first adopt the HITRUST CSF (Common Security Framework) which is updated regularly with multiple versions. You need to stay on top of the update, use the right protocol and technologies to be able to use it effectively. This may be a daunting task for many companies
  • Assessment may include up to 400 control criteria and take upto 8 weeks depending on the scope and complexity of the company. This may be severely time consuming

The HITRUST Certification Fee

 

If you’re looking for a ballpark figure, the best guess will be $50,000 to $200,000, not including ongoing recertification costs. However, the range is so wide that it is ineffective for your business.

It depends on the assessment’s reach and the organization’s size, the state of its information system, and the steps taken to plan for a HITRUST assessment.

 

What exactly is included in this price?

Costs directly related to:

– The HITRUST MyCSF® gateway and services are made available

– Companies can take a readiness assessment and rating it

– Conducting a difference analysis, administering and rating a validated evaluation

Indirect costs incurred as a result of:

– Employee time spent on participation

– Security data recording and updating

– Initial setup

– Developing corrective action plans and remediation initiatives

– Assistance in locating and submitting necessary documents

Why is HITRUST Certification more expensive than other security certifications?

One must factor in the detail-oriented approach, thoroughness, and dependability.

A thorough examination

Depending on the company’s risk profile, a single HITRUST assessment may include up to 400 control criteria. This is in addition to the three forms of protection required by HIPAA regulations, the 12 PCI DSS compliance standards, COBIT’s five domains, 37 processes, and the 80-100 controls included in a SOC 2 audit.

The HITRUST CSF blends these and other regulatory standards into a single, overarching risk management and enforcement program, which is one of the most tangible benefits of the framework. It combines information management, financial services, technology, and healthcare standards. As a result, businesses will streamline their enforcement processes, resolve security concerns in all sectors, and reduce the time and expense associated with maintaining compliance with multiple standards.

Detail-oriented approach

Each control in your organization’s assessment must be reported, assessed, checked, and verified by an accredited external assessor before being evaluated by HITRUST. In addition, each control must be assessed using the HITRUST Maturity Model, which has five levels.

The HITRUST CSF certification process covers much more ground than any other security evaluation. In most cases, 2,000-2,500 separate data points are examined. Throughout this phase, an average of 1.5 hours per control is spent, with the number of controls assessed varying depending on the organization’s size, risk profile, and scope.

Dependability

The HITRUST CSF system was created to give enforcement programs more structure and continuity. Recent enhancements have also increased scoring accuracy over time and between internal and external assessors.

HITRUST has strict standards for the assessor firms and experts involved in its commitment to solid assurance. Firms must apply for and receive approval from HITRUST to conduct assessments and services related to the CSF Assurance Program and work hard to retain that status.

Certified CSF Practitioners (CCSFP) are HITRUST Approved External Assessors responsible for assessing and validating security controls. They must complete a training course, pass an exam, and retain certification through regular refresher courses. HITRUST helps organizations ensure the evaluation and certification process is accurate through service.

Can you have a data breach after a HITRUST Certification?

Anthem, a HITRUST-certified company, was hacked, which resulted in a breach impacting nearly 80 million individuals.

While HITRUST released a statement in its defense that “the healthcare payer did not have a breach in any system or area of the organization that was within the scope of its HITRUST CSF Certification,” some security experts did question the significance “what did it mean to be HITRUST certified?” given the scale and sheer magnitude in the numbers.

HITRUST Alternatives

The HITRUST CSF is a certifiable and widely accepted security framework with a list of prescriptive controls to demonstrate HIPAA compliance. However, as alternatives to HITRUST, several SMEs comply with other security governance frameworks like the National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST], HIPAA, SOC Reports – SOC 1, 2, and 3 Form 1 and 2 and ISO 27001 Certification.

NIST is a set of voluntary guidelines, and processes that companies use to reduce the risk of a cybersecurity threat. It aims to improve security and resiliency by implementing 108 security controls to achieve NIST compliance.

Many HIPAA requirements may not be understood in accordance with their intended objectives. HITRUST aims to provide an integrated and holistic approach to demonstrate compliance with HIPAA security requirements.

HIPAA is a federal law with national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.

Based on the certification goals and requirements of our clients, we offer alternative frameworks NIST, ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certifications. Different certifications involve different costs and levels of efforts, so it is imperative to consider your size, requirement and budget before you seek certification. IF you company falls under a broad range of industries or comes under a regulated industry, SOC 2 may be the best option. If your company processes electronic health information, HITRUST may be the better option.

Talk to us to understand your certification category and know more information

About databrackets

databrackets certified privacy and security professionals could help your organization comply with a range of Certifications and Compliances that include HIPAA/HITECH, PCI Data Security, CCPA, OSHA, GDPR, Penetration Testing,  FDA CFR Part 11, ISO 27000, Cloud Security Management, NIST Framework, Cybersecurity Framework, SOC Certification, Third-party Assessment, NYDPS Cybersecurity  Series, ISO 17020, and  ISO 27001.

databrackets assists organizations in developing and implementing practices to secure sensitive data and comply with regulatory requirements. By leveraging databracket’s SaaS assessment platform, awareness training, policies, and procedures, and consulting expertise, you can meet the growing demand for data security and evolving compliance requirements more efficiently.

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) has accredited databrackets for technical competence in and compliance with the Inspection Body Accreditation Program.

databrackets has been accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) as a Cybersecurity Inspection Body for ISO/IEC 17020:2012 vide its Certificate Number: 5998.01.

The Cybersecurity Inspection Body Program accreditation provides added trust and assurance in the quality of assessments performed by databrackets. A2LA’s third-party accreditation offers an independent review of databrackets’ compliance to both ISO/IEC 17020 (Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspections) as well as competence in technical program requirements for the desired scope of accreditation (I.e. SOC II, HIPAA/HITECH, PCI, etc.).

databrackets received accreditation by the International Accreditation Service (IAS] to provide ISO/IEC 27001 Certification for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) and joins an exclusive group of certification bodies.

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