New Resources Define Cloud Security and Privacy Responsibilities

Data protection and compliance solutions provider HITRUST has announced the release of new Shared Responsibility Matrices for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.

Best known for the HITRUST CSF (Common Security Framework), the Texas-based company has worked with healthcare, technology and information security organizations to help organizations safeguard sensitive information and manage information risk.

Meant to define the security and privacy responsibilities that both cloud service providers and customers have, each HITRUST Shared Responsibility Matrix is specifically tailored for the cloud service provider’s unique solution offering and should help streamline processes for risk management programs.

Shared responsibility models mean that the cloud provider is responsible for the security of hosting applications and systems, while the customers assume responsibility for other apps and systems, but such models are loosely defined, and variations based on solution represent a challenge.

Thus, organizations looking to deploy solutions in the cloud face additional complexity when seeking to achieve risk management objectives, HITRUST notes.

HITRUST says that the freely available Shared Responsibility Matrices, which it developed in collaboration with Microsoft and AWS, are meant to “address the many misunderstandings, risks, and complexities involved when organizations leverage cloud service providers.”

Each HITRUST Shared Responsibility Matrix is built based on the HITRUST CSF framework that integrates over 40 authoritative sources. The framework includes more than 2,000 controls (activities to mitigate risks), and the Matrix shows if they are the responsibility of cloud service providers or their customers.

“HITRUST launched this Program with the goal of providing greater clarity regarding the ownership and operation of security controls between organizations and their cloud service providers,” said Becky Swain, director of standards development at HITRUST.

The HITRUST Shared Responsibility Matrices for AWS and Microsoft Azure are available in the form of spreadsheets.

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