HIPAA Security Testing Services

The HIPAA Security Rule mandates that all covered entities and business associates "conduct an accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information". While the regulation does not explicitly name "penetration testing," it requires "periodic technical evaluations" that make penetration testing the only practical method to validate runtime security controls protecting ePHI.

With the proposed 2025 HIPAA Security Rule updates, published in the Federal Register on January 6, 2025, these requirements are becoming explicit: all covered entities and business associates would need to conduct penetration testing of their electronic information systems at least once every 12 months, with vulnerability scanning required every six months. Organisations that implement these cadences now will be ahead of the compliance curve once the rule is finalised.

We follow a structured, transparent process that provides you with the evidence needed for a successful assessment. Our methodology is designed to map findings directly to HIPAA Security Rule technical safeguards, making your audit preparation smoother.

1. ePHI-First Scoping Workshop: We work with you to define the scope based on systems and data flows that touch ePHI, not generic assets. This ensures clear coverage and a defensible rationale for what was tested.
2. Discovery & Threat Modelling: We map your digital footprint, enumerate exposed services and API endpoints, and identify software versions and patch levels.
3. Coordinated Testing Execution: Our team performs threat-led, manual testing with targeted tooling, carefully planned to avoid disruption to 24/7 clinical operations.
4. Vulnerability Chaining & Exploitation: We don't just identify vulnerabilities—we chain them together to demonstrate what an actual attacker would do, including lateral movement and privilege escalation.
5. Comprehensive Reporting: We deliver a professional report including an executive summary, technical findings with proof-of-exploitation evidence, risk scoring (CVSS), HIPAA Security Rule safeguard mapping, and a prioritized remediation plan.
6. Remediation Support & Retest: After you address the findings, we perform a retest to verify the fixes and provide updated evidence suitable for your compliance package.