Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Williams, CISSP, HCISPP A HIPAA risk assessment is a mandatory, documented process that identifies all systems handling PHI, evaluates threats and vulnerabilities specific to your environment, rates likelihood and impact of each threat, assesses current controls against residual risk, and documents treatment decisions with business justification. HHS
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Williams, CISSP, HCISPP HIPAA applies to two categories of organizations: covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses that directly handle PHI) and business associates (any organization that handles PHI on behalf of a covered entity). The HIPAA Omnibus Rule of 2013 made business associates directly
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Dr. Sarah Chen, HCISPP, CISA The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities and business associates to implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect electronic PHI. The rule is technology-neutral — it mandates outcomes, not specific products. A documented risk assessment is the mandatory starting point that justifies every
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Dr. Elaine Mercer, HCISPP, CHC The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requires covered entities to notify affected individuals within 60 calendar days of discovering a breach of unsecured protected health information — a hard deadline with no extensions. Breaches affecting 500 or more individuals must also be reported to HHS
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Dr. Sarah Chen, HCISPP, CISA The HIPAA Privacy Rule governs how covered entities and business associates use, disclose, and manage protected health information. It is primarily a legal and administrative rule — not a technical one. IT supports Privacy Rule compliance by implementing access controls, encryption, and audit logging,
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Dunhill, CISA, CISSP SOC 2 costs $100,000 to $350,000 in the first year for a typical mid-market company when you include auditor fees ($30,000 to $150,000), internal labor ($50,000 to $150,000), and hidden costs like tooling, remediation, and contractor support. According
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Dr. Sarah Chen, HCISPP, CISA HIPAA is federal law enforced by HHS Office for Civil Rights, requiring covered entities and business associates to protect patient health information through three interdependent rules: the Privacy Rule (data use and disclosure), the Security Rule (technical, administrative, and physical controls), and the
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Dunhill, CISA, CISSP A SOC 2 report is typically 80 to 150 pages, but the sections that matter to customers are only about 10 pages: the auditor's opinion (unmodified, qualified, or adverse), management's description of controls, and the exceptions list. According to a
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Dunhill, CISA, CISSP The SOC 2 audit moves through five distinct phases — planning and scoping, evidence collection, fieldwork, testing, and report issuance — over a total timeline of 3 to 4 months for Type 1 and 9 to 15 months for Type 2. Total first-year cost including auditor
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Dunhill, CISA, CISSP SOC 2 preparation takes 6 to 12 months for most organizations starting near-zero on documentation. The process follows a predictable sequence: readiness assessment, gap remediation, control environment build-out, evidence collection, and audit trail organization. According to ISACA's 2024 State of IT Audit
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Dunhill, CISA, CISSP SOC 2 is a market-driven credential, not a legal requirement — no government agency mandates it or fines you for lacking it. The organizations that need SOC 2 are B2B service companies whose customers require third-party verification of security controls as a condition of doing
Compliance Frameworks
Reviewed by Marcus Dunhill, CISA, CISSP The five SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria — Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy — define the categories of controls that auditors evaluate during a SOC 2 engagement. Security is mandatory in every audit; the other four are optional based on business model and customer