When testing, can you sample across a population of ungrouped primary components within an assessment's...

HITRUST distinguishes between grouped and ungrouped components. When primary components (e.g., servers, databases, firewalls) are not grouped, they must be tested individually. This is because each ungrouped component may have unique configurations, operational practices, or control implementations, meaning sampling would not yield accurate results. Sampling is only permitted when components are grouped and proven to be functionally identical. In ungrouped situations, the assessor must test each component to validate control effectiveness. This ensures accuracy in scoring and avoids the risk of overlooking control failures in heterogeneous environments. Therefore, when components remain ungrouped, the assessor is required to test all components within scope and cannot rely on sampling methods.