Key Takeaways
1. HITRUST’s Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Program offers a focused approach to managing AI-related risks.
2. HITRUST’s assurance reports will give you and your stakeholders a clear view of your AI risk management efforts.
3. I.S. Partners brings two decades of experience and has helped hundreds of companies achieve compliance with standards and frameworks like NIST AI RMF or HITRUST AI Risk Management.
What Is the HITRUST AI Risk Management Program?
The HITRUST AI Risk Management Program is a framework designed to help organizations prioritize risk management as they incorporate AI into their operations. The framework is not mandatory but is considered a key starting point for companies to meet their governance responsibilities at any stage of AI deployment.
This toolkit allows companies using AI technologies, like machine learning and large language models, to benchmark and report on their AI risk management efforts. It’s a much-needed resource for organizations that want to commit to managing AI-related risks and show leadership in this emerging area.
With the release of version 11.2 of the HITRUST CSF, this program encourages companies to actively engage with their AI service providers to discuss and manage shared risks more effectively.
HITRUST has applied over 15 years of practical experience and a best-in-class assurance methodology to AI risk management. The result is an approach organizations can use to demonstrate that they have established appropriate governance structures and meet essential risk management principles.
The program includes the HITRUST AI RM Assessment, a SaaS platform, and an ecosystem.
What Is the Goal of the HITRUST AI Risk Management Program?
The goal of the HITRUST AI Risk Management Program is to help organizations handle AI risks in a way that’s both efficient and secure. Interestingly, it offers a 360-degree approach that aligns well with the NIST and ISO/IEC standards which are considered to be the gold standard in the industry.
But that’s not all; HITRUST’s new strategy has already led to several innovative advancements that benefit the HITRUST community.
For example, the patent-pending Mapping of Assessed Entity Policy uses AI to align written policies with the HITRUST CSF and relevant requirements, making the HITRUST AI assurance program easier for companies.
Benefits of the HITRUST AI Risk Management Program
The benefits of HITRUST’S AI risk management processes start from offering a strong foundation to help identify potential gaps and develop action plans. However, there are other benefits to consider, and they are:
- Creates a Strong Foundation. The HITRUST AI Risk Management Assessment provides a strong foundation for evaluating your AI risk management control.
- Gap Identification. It helps identify potential gaps and develop action plans for continuous improvement.
- Commitment to Management. You can confidently demonstrate that you are managing AI risks using a proven, reliable framework.
- Provides Transparency. The program also addresses the challenge of generative AI’s lack of transparency by encouraging the implementation of explainable and transparent AI systems.
How Can Organizations Comply with the HITRUST AI Risk Management Program?
The core element of compliance with the HITRUST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) is the implementation of a comprehensive, risk-based approach to managing AI-related risks.
To comply with the HITRUST AI Risk Management Program, companies need to take some essential steps:
- Build a Strong AI Risk Management Strategy. Start by identifying and addressing key risks tied to your AI systems, such as data bias, model transparency, and broader societal impacts.
- Get Familiar With the HITRUST AI Risk Management Assessment. It’s important to understand the specific AI-related controls in the HITRUST CSF, particularly around data governance, model development, and deployment processes.
- Identify AI Risks. Perform a complete risk assessment to get rid of potential risks, including data bias, algorithmic bias, model interpretability, and the possibility of misuse.
- Establish Clear AI Governance Policies. Set up policies and procedures that define how you’ll manage trustworthy AI risks and decision-making processes.
- Ensure Data Quality Management. Make sure the data used to train your AI models is accurate and complete of the intended population through strong data quality controls.
- Focus on Model Development and Validation. Implement a rigorous model development process with validation criteria to guarantee the accuracy, fairness, and robustness of your AI models.
- Monitor and Address Issues Proactively. Regularly monitor AI systems for potential problems like performance degradation or bias, and have a plan in place to address any issues quickly.
- Keep Detailed Documentation. Maintain thorough records of AI use, development, validation, deployment, and monitoring activities to demonstrate compliance with HITRUST standards.
- Manage Third-Party Risks. If you’re working with third-party AI services, ensure they also have proper AI risk management practices in place and meet HITRUST requirements.
- Choose a Trusted Auditor. Auditors like I.S. Partners are at the forefront of AI and risk management. Whether your company is already using AI or just starting to explore its potential, our team has the expertise to guide you through every stage with confidence and clarity.
- Provide Training and Raise Awareness. Equip your team with the necessary training on AI ethics and HITRUST assessment so everyone is on the same page.
Important Elements of HITRUST AI Risk Management Program
HITRUST provides a strong foundation for evaluating your AI risk management efforts. It helps you identify gaps and develop action plans to continually enhance your risk management strategies. More importantly, the program focuses on four key initiatives and they are:
Prioritizing AI Risk Management With the HITRUST CSF
AI systems need careful analysis to identify and address potential risks, such as threats to the data used by AI, risks of incorrect outcomes from AI security models, and operational challenges when AI systems don’t perform as expected.
With the release of HITRUST CSF v11.2 in October 2023, HITRUST has integrated AI risk management and security into its framework.
This addition gives AI providers and users a solid foundation for assessing and managing risks, helping them identify potential negative outcomes.
To support this, HITRUST CSF version 11.2 integrates two key AI risk management frameworks, and more will be incorporated throughout 2024.
- First, it includes the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, which emphasizes trustworthiness in designing, developing, using, and evaluating AI systems. This framework helps organizations ensure that their AI technologies are reliable and secure with AI compliance.
- This update includes the ISO AI Risk Management Guidelines. These guidelines offer practical advice for organizations involved in developing, deploying, or using AI, focusing on managing risks specific to AI technologies.
Providing Reliable Assurances Around AI Risks and Risk Management Through HITRUST Reports
HITRUST will enhance its assurance reports by including AI risk management so that organizations have a reliable way to tackle AI-related risks.
This update is designed to help companies using AI systems, AI models, and service providers better understand these risks and show their commitment to managing them.
With the same transparency, consistency, and quality that HITRUST is known for, these reports will give organizations a solid foundation for addressing AI challenges.
New AI risk management assessment will be available through HITRUST’s Essentials (e1), Leading Practices (i1), and Expanded Practices (r2) reports.
This means organizations can not only prove they’re aware of the risks that come with AI but also demonstrate the strength and maturity of the systems that support their AI platforms.
Embrace Shared Responsibility in AI Risk Management
As HITRUST incorporates AI risk management and security controls into the HITRUST CSF, the new HITRUST Shared Responsibility Model will help AI service providers and their customers clearly define who is responsible for what.
This model is crucial for managing risks both parties share, like those involved in training, tuning, and testing AI models in various contexts.
It outlines the responsibilities of AI risks and controls for large language models and other AI services. It helps identify which risks and controls the service provider will manage and which ones fall on the shoulders of organizations using AI services.
Driving Industry Collaboration for AI Risk Management
With its deep expertise in control frameworks and security assurance, HITRUST is committed to leading the way in responsible AI risk management and security. It’s already working with industry leaders like Microsoft and Databricks and is looking to bring more organizations into the fold.
Manage AI Risks and Comply With New Frameworks With I.S. Partners
AI systems are transforming business operations, making risk management more critical than ever. The HITRUST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) helps organizations protect their AI systems with scalable controls for security, transparency, and accountability.
I.S. Partners has over 20 years of experience in helping organizations meet compliance standards like HITRUST and NIST AI RMF. We ensure your AI systems are secure, trustworthy, and compliant.
What Should You Do Next?
Follow these simple steps to kickstart your AI risk management.
Understand Regulations. Familiarize yourself with AI-specific laws like HIPAA, GDPR, and emerging frameworks.
Assess Risks. Identify and address risks in AI data security, privacy, and algorithm biases.
Partner with ISP. Work with I.S. Partners for expert guidance, including risk assessments, HITRUST AI RMF implementation, and ongoing compliance support.
Contact us today to learn how we can assist with your AI risk management efforts.
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