Control Objectives are a statement of the desired result or purpose to be achieved by...

Control Objectives within the HITRUST CSF describe theintended outcomesthat organizations should achieve through the implementation of controls. They do not prescribe how to achieve the result but set thegoal or purposeof control activities. For example, a control objective may state that access to systems should be restricted to authorized users. The actual requirement statements beneath that objective describe specific policies, procedures, and technical measures needed to fulfill it. This layered approach aligns with best practices in frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST, where control objectives serve as high-level goals, and control activities provide the actionable detail. The objective-driven design helps organizations understand not only the “what” but also the “why” behind each control.