Compliance & Advisory Services
PatientLock offers a broad range of Advisory Services designed for healthcare organizations, including Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO), NIST CSF and HIPAA Compliance, Security Risk Assessments, HITRUST and SOC2 Readiness, GAP Assessments, and Incident Response (IR).
vCISO
Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO)
Affordable Security and Compliance Leadership
A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to manage compliance and security risk at a fraction of the cost as compared to hiring a full-time CISO, a position now demanding over $300,000 in salary and benefits each year thanks to a global staffing shortage.
Healthcare organizations should consider vCISO at a fraction of the cost, freeing up budget for other security investments.
vCISO may be best thought of as a world-class, "1099'd security executive" providing oversight in these key areas:
Leadership & Security Strategic Planning
Advising and managing your security risks and strategic plan
Security Awareness Program
Oversight of security awareness and training for your employees
Security Risk Management
Comprehensive risk management, including policies, procedures, and reporting
Security Incident Response
Stay ahead of attacks and minimize impact with immediate assistance
Security Risk Assessment
Planning and implementing your security control frameworks
Security Policy Review
Ongoing checks and balances with security policy review
Corrective Action Plan
Handling security gaps and incidents with a corrective action plan
Security Governance
Advising management and key stakeholders on security governance
Virtual Chief Information Security Officer
Healthcare cybersecurity and compliance can be complex. A full-time CISO is a luxury few organizations can afford, but qualified information security leadership is a must. So, what do you do?
A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (or vCISO) provides the necessary leadership, strategic planning oversight, and guidance required to achieve compliance and minimize security risk to a healthcare organization.
Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO)
Affordable Security and Compliance Leadership
A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to manage compliance and security risk at a fraction of the cost as compared to hiring a full-time CISO, a position now demanding over $300,000 in salary and benefits each year thanks to a global staffing shortage.
Healthcare organizations should consider vCISO at a fraction of the cost, freeing up budget for other security investments.
vCISO may be best thought of as a world-class, "1099'd security executive" providing oversight in these key areas:
Leadership & Security Strategic Planning
Advising and managing your security risks and strategic plan
Security Awareness Program
Oversight of security awareness and training for your employees
Security Risk Management
Comprehensive risk management, including policies, procedures, and reporting
Security Incident Response
Stay ahead of attacks and minimize impact with immediate assistance
Security Risk Assessment
Planning and implementing your security control frameworks
Security Policy Review
Ongoing checks and balances with security policy review
Corrective Action Plan
Handling security gaps and incidents with a corrective action plan
Security Governance
Advising management and key stakeholders on security governance
Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO)
Affordable Security and Compliance Leadership
A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to manage compliance and security risk at a fraction of the cost as compared to hiring a full-time CISO, a position now demanding over $300,000 in salary and benefits each year thanks to a global staffing shortage.
Healthcare organizations should consider vCISO at a fraction of the cost, freeing up budget for other security investments.
vCISO may be best thought of as a world-class, "1099'd security executive" providing oversight in these key areas:
Leadership & Security Strategic Planning
Advising and managing your security risks and strategic plan
Security Awareness Program
Oversight of security awareness and training for your employees
Security Risk Management
Comprehensive risk management, including policies, procedures, and reporting
Security Incident Response
Stay ahead of attacks and minimize impact with immediate assistance
Security Risk Assessment
Planning and implementing your security control frameworks
Security Policy Review
Ongoing checks and balances with security policy review
Corrective Action Plan
Handling security gaps and incidents with a corrective action plan
Security Governance
Advising management and key stakeholders on security governance
Gap / Baseline Assessments
Identify Your Gaps and Roadmap to Compliance
Achieving readiness or certification on a regulation or framework typically involves a gap assessment. We conduct your gap assessment and provide you with a report and remediation roadmap for frameworks & regulations such as ISO 27001, SSAE18 SOC2, PCI-DSS, NIST-CSF, and many more.
NIST Compliance
NIST Cybersecurity Framework:
Gap Assessment & Implementation Support
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes a Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to enable organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. The framework, which was created through collaboration between industry and government, consists of standards, guidelines, and practices to promote the protection of critical infrastructure. The prioritized, flexible, repeatable, and cost-effective approach of the framework helps owners and operators of critical infrastructure to manage cybersecurity risk. It is also common to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to augment regulations like HIPAA to ensure thorough security practices.
Gap Assessment & Implementation Support
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes a Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to enable organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk.The NIST CSF consists of five core functions – Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. We assess organizations against the five core functions and their categories. This assessment reveals gaps between the framework and the client’s actual security program. Addressing these gaps enables clients improve their cybersecurity posture by implementing a robust, comprehensive cybersecurity framework.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework:
Gap Assessment & Implementation Support
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes a Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to enable organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. The framework, which was created through collaboration between industry and government, consists of standards, guidelines, and practices to promote the protection of critical infrastructure. The prioritized, flexible, repeatable, and cost-effective approach of the framework helps owners and operators of critical infrastructure to manage cybersecurity risk. It is also common to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to augment regulations like HIPAA to ensure thorough security practices.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework:
Gap Assessment & Implementation Support
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes a Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to enable organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. The framework, which was created through collaboration between industry and government, consists of standards, guidelines, and practices to promote the protection of critical infrastructure. The prioritized, flexible, repeatable, and cost-effective approach of the framework helps owners and operators of critical infrastructure to manage cybersecurity risk. It is also common to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to augment regulations like HIPAA to ensure thorough security practices.
PCI Compliance
Painless PCI DSS Compliance
Did you get notified about the v4.0 update?
Falling out of compliance with PCI DSS is a big risk with serious consequences. Monthly fines, fees from banks and payment processors, loss of ability to accept credit cards, liability for fraudulent charges -- even loss of business leading to your business closing.
That’s why PatientLock uses only PCI Qualified Security Assessors (QSA’s) who are certified to conduct assessments against v4.0 of the PCI Data Security Standard.
Take advantage of our expertise to become PCI DSS 4.0 compliant!
PCI DSS Compliance Services
PatientLock follows a comprehensive approach to assess and maintain your PCI DSS compliance and certification. Our highly qualified team with years of experience in this area will take all the necessary steps to ensure your PCI DSS compliance, including:
Review of cardholder data storage locations and formats
Review of access controls
Preparation of Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) as needed
Assisting towards PCI compliance through the Prioritized Approach Tool
Review of existing agreements, documentation and operating policies and procedures
Developing policies and procedures for payment cards as needed
Payment card process improvement
Security awareness training with specific emphasis on data privacy and managing cardholder data
Developer training on secure programming techniques
Assisting with remediation
Network vulnerability scans
Providing validation of PCI compliance by a certified QSA
Painless Payment Compliance Support
Depending on where you are in your compliance journey, you may be familiar with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The PCI DSS is a global standard by the PCI Council that provides a baseline of people, process and technology requirements designated to protect payment data and facilitate consistent data security measures.
PatientLock follows a comprehensive approach to assess and maintain your PCI DSS compliance and certification. Our highly qualified team with years of experience in this area will take the right steps needed to ensure your compliance.
Painless PCI DSS Compliance
Did you get notified about the v4.0 update?
Falling out of compliance with PCI DSS is a big risk with serious consequences. Monthly fines, fees from banks and payment processors, loss of ability to accept credit cards, liability for fraudulent charges -- even loss of business leading to your business closing.
That’s why PatientLock uses only PCI Qualified Security Assessors (QSA’s) who are certified to conduct assessments against v4.0 of the PCI Data Security Standard.
Take advantage of our expertise to become PCI DSS 4.0 compliant!
PCI DSS Compliance Services
PatientLock follows a comprehensive approach to assess and maintain your PCI DSS compliance and certification. Our highly qualified team with years of experience in this area will take all the necessary steps to ensure your PCI DSS compliance, including:
Review of cardholder data storage locations and formats
Review of access controls
Preparation of Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) as needed
Assisting towards PCI compliance through the Prioritized Approach Tool
Review of existing agreements, documentation and operating policies and procedures
Developing policies and procedures for payment cards as needed
Payment card process improvement
Security awareness training with specific emphasis on data privacy and managing cardholder data
Developer training on secure programming techniques
Assisting with remediation
Network vulnerability scans
Providing validation of PCI compliance by a certified QSA
Painless PCI DSS Compliance
Did you get notified about the v4.0 update?
Falling out of compliance with PCI DSS is a big risk with serious consequences. Monthly fines, fees from banks and payment processors, loss of ability to accept credit cards, liability for fraudulent charges -- even loss of business leading to your business closing.
That’s why PatientLock uses only PCI Qualified Security Assessors (QSA’s) who are certified to conduct assessments against v4.0 of the PCI Data Security Standard.
Take advantage of our expertise to become PCI DSS 4.0 compliant!
PCI DSS Compliance Services
PatientLock follows a comprehensive approach to assess and maintain your PCI DSS compliance and certification. Our highly qualified team with years of experience in this area will take all the necessary steps to ensure your PCI DSS compliance, including:
Review of cardholder data storage locations and formats
Review of access controls
Preparation of Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) as needed
Assisting towards PCI compliance through the Prioritized Approach Tool
Review of existing agreements, documentation and operating policies and procedures
Developing policies and procedures for payment cards as needed
Payment card process improvement
Security awareness training with specific emphasis on data privacy and managing cardholder data
Developer training on secure programming techniques
Assisting with remediation
Network vulnerability scans
Providing validation of PCI compliance by a certified QSA
CMMC Compliance
CMMC Compliance 2.0
Get Compliant - Schedule Your CMMC 2.0 Gap Assessment
Healthcare organizations looking to apply or maintain partner status with the Department of Defense must have the new CMMC 2.0 certification. Fortunately, PatientLock is experienced working with organizations in the Defense Industrial Base on their journey to CMMC compliance.
CMMC 2.0 Services
To ensure you remain qualified as a DoD contract bidder, PatientLock walks you through every step with the following pre-certification efforts:
Assess
Perform a gap assessment to determine your current state of compliance with the CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 requirements
Assist
System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) to address any gaps
Advise
Advisory assistance with remediation efforts and tracking milestones against the POA&M
Implement
Vulnerability assessments, penetration testing—and other services as may be required
Create
Technology, processes, and policies and procedures internally or for projects with external IT vendors (MSPs/ MSSPs)
Get Ready for CMMC 2.0 Compliance
PatientLock provides CMMC readiness services to healthcare organizations on their path to certification against the CMMC standard.
CMMC Compliance 2.0
Get Compliant - Schedule Your CMMC 2.0 Gap Assessment
Healthcare organizations looking to apply or maintain partner status with the Department of Defense must have the new CMMC 2.0 certification. Fortunately, PatientLock is experienced working with organizations in the Defense Industrial Base on their journey to CMMC compliance.
CMMC 2.0 Services
To ensure you remain qualified as a DoD contract bidder, PatientLock walks you through every step with the following pre-certification efforts:
Assess
Perform a gap assessment to determine your current state of compliance with the CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 requirements
Assist
System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) to address any gaps
Advise
Advisory assistance with remediation efforts and tracking milestones against the POA&M
Implement
Vulnerability assessments, penetration testing—and other services as may be required
Create
Technology, processes, and policies and procedures internally or for projects with external IT vendors (MSPs/ MSSPs)
CMMC Compliance 2.0
Get Compliant - Schedule Your CMMC 2.0 Gap Assessment
Healthcare organizations looking to apply or maintain partner status with the Department of Defense must have the new CMMC 2.0 certification. Fortunately, PatientLock is experienced working with organizations in the Defense Industrial Base on their journey to CMMC compliance.
CMMC 2.0 Services
To ensure you remain qualified as a DoD contract bidder, PatientLock walks you through every step with the following pre-certification efforts:
Assess
Perform a gap assessment to determine your current state of compliance with the CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 requirements
Assist
System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) to address any gaps
Advise
Advisory assistance with remediation efforts and tracking milestones against the POA&M
Implement
Vulnerability assessments, penetration testing—and other services as may be required
Create
Technology, processes, and policies and procedures internally or for projects with external IT vendors (MSPs/ MSSPs)
HIPAA Risk Assessment
HIPAA Compliance Just Got Easier
Get Your Annual HIPAA Risk Assessment
PatientLock walks you through every step of the HIPAA process, from assessment to implementation and maintenance, telling you exactly what you need to meet expectations. Find out why hundreds of healthcare organizations trust PatientLock for HIPAA Compliance.
Take the first step and schedule your initial consultation with us at no cost to you.
HIPAA Compliance Services
Our team of cybersecurity and compliance experts simplify HIPAA compliance into a few key steps — saving you time and limiting employee stress while making sure you stay compliant.
Assess
HIPAA risk assessment and gap analysis
Create
HIPAA compliant privacy and security policies
Train
Employees on Cybersecurity and HIPAA practices
Monitor
HIPAA Compliance Just Got Easier
PatientLock walks you through every step of the HIPAA process, from assessment to implementation and maintenance, telling you exactly what you need to meet expectations. Find out why hundreds of healthcare organizations trust our HIPAA Compliance services.
Our team of cybersecurity and compliance experts simplify HIPAA compliance into a few key steps — saving you time and limiting employee stress while making sure you stay compliant.
HIPAA Compliance Just Got Easier
Get Your Annual HIPAA Risk Assessment
PatientLock walks you through every step of the HIPAA process, from assessment to implementation and maintenance, telling you exactly what you need to meet expectations. Find out why hundreds of healthcare organizations trust PatientLock for HIPAA Compliance.
Take the first step and schedule your initial consultation with us at no cost to you.
HIPAA Compliance Services
Our team of cybersecurity and compliance experts simplify HIPAA compliance into a few key steps — saving you time and limiting employee stress while making sure you stay compliant.
Assess
HIPAA risk assessment and gap analysis
Create
HIPAA compliant privacy and security policies
Train
Employees on Cybersecurity and HIPAA practices
Monitor
HIPAA Compliance Just Got Easier
Get Your Annual HIPAA Risk Assessment
PatientLock walks you through every step of the HIPAA process, from assessment to implementation and maintenance, telling you exactly what you need to meet expectations. Find out why hundreds of healthcare organizations trust PatientLock for HIPAA Compliance.
Take the first step and schedule your initial consultation with us at no cost to you.
HIPAA Compliance Services
Our team of cybersecurity and compliance experts simplify HIPAA compliance into a few key steps — saving you time and limiting employee stress while making sure you stay compliant.
Assess
HIPAA risk assessment and gap analysis
Create
HIPAA compliant privacy and security policies
Train
Employees on Cybersecurity and HIPAA practices
Monitor
Incident Response (IR)
Incident Response Planning
Be Prepared for Your Next Cyber Incident
Incident response is the systematic approach in which an organization handles a cyber incident or a breach. At a minimum, every organization must have a clear and comprehensive incident response plan outlining roles and responsibilities, process and procedures in the event of a cyber incident. Every person involved in executing the incident response must be trained and should have participated in a series of tests of the plan.
Be Prepared for Your Next Cyber Incident
Incident response is the systematic approach in which an organization handles a cyber incident or a breach. At a minimum, every organization must have a clear and comprehensive incident response plan outlining roles and responsibilities, process and procedures in the event of a cyber incident. Every person involved in executing the incident response must be trained and should have participated in a series of tests of the plan.
PatientLock is your trusted partner in incident response planning and testing. We work with you in the end-to-end process for incident response.
Incident Response Planning
Be Prepared for Your Next Cyber Incident
Incident response is the systematic approach in which an organization handles a cyber incident or a breach. At a minimum, every organization must have a clear and comprehensive incident response plan outlining roles and responsibilities, process and procedures in the event of a cyber incident. Every person involved in executing the incident response must be trained and should have participated in a series of tests of the plan.
Incident Response Planning
Be Prepared for Your Next Cyber Incident
Incident response is the systematic approach in which an organization handles a cyber incident or a breach. At a minimum, every organization must have a clear and comprehensive incident response plan outlining roles and responsibilities, process and procedures in the event of a cyber incident. Every person involved in executing the incident response must be trained and should have participated in a series of tests of the plan.
HITRUST Readiness
Your Partner in HITRUST Readiness
HITRUST Readiness Services
We offer readiness services for HITRUST CSF v11 at all three levels, including e1, i1, and r2.
Our HITRUST Readiness Services include:
Assistance in determining which level of security assurance and certification is most suitable for your organization, and the controls and requirements to be implemented for that level.
Assistance in implementing the CSF Framework for the security assurance level you have chosen, identifying compliance gaps, and remediating those gaps until all requirements are met.
Preparation of policies, procedures, reports, and other documentation required by the CSF Framework.
Preparation of policies, procedures, reports, and other documentation required by the CSF Framework.
Assistance in addressing remaining activities that may be required to achieve applicable industry-specific compliance.
Ongoing maintenance to prevent erosion of compliance over time, as may occur with the introduction or retirement of technology, systems, infrastructure, or key personnel.
HITRUST CSF Framework Readiness Service
Achieve your objective in a timely and efficient manner with PatientLock’s HITRUST Readiness Services.
PatientLock will walk you through a Readiness Assessment for the HITRUST CSF Framework, remediate the gaps, and prepare for a successful, certifiable HITRUST Assessment.
HITRUST Readiness is designed to help you achieve HITRUST CSF Framework validation and compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to healthcare organizations.
Your Partner in HITRUST Readiness
HITRUST Readiness Services
We offer readiness services for HITRUST CSF v11 at all three levels, including e1, i1, and r2.
Our HITRUST Readiness Services include:
Assistance in determining which level of security assurance and certification is most suitable for your organization, and the controls and requirements to be implemented for that level.
Assistance in implementing the CSF Framework for the security assurance level you have chosen, identifying compliance gaps, and remediating those gaps until all requirements are met.
Preparation of policies, procedures, reports, and other documentation required by the CSF Framework.
Preparation of policies, procedures, reports, and other documentation required by the CSF Framework.
Assistance in addressing remaining activities that may be required to achieve applicable industry-specific compliance.
Ongoing maintenance to prevent erosion of compliance over time, as may occur with the introduction or retirement of technology, systems, infrastructure, or key personnel.
Your Partner in HITRUST Readiness
HITRUST Readiness Services
We offer readiness services for HITRUST CSF v11 at all three levels, including e1, i1, and r2.
Our HITRUST Readiness Services include:
Assistance in determining which level of security assurance and certification is most suitable for your organization, and the controls and requirements to be implemented for that level.
Assistance in implementing the CSF Framework for the security assurance level you have chosen, identifying compliance gaps, and remediating those gaps until all requirements are met.
Preparation of policies, procedures, reports, and other documentation required by the CSF Framework.
Preparation of policies, procedures, reports, and other documentation required by the CSF Framework.
Assistance in addressing remaining activities that may be required to achieve applicable industry-specific compliance.
Ongoing maintenance to prevent erosion of compliance over time, as may occur with the introduction or retirement of technology, systems, infrastructure, or key personnel.
Penetration Testing
Penetration Testing
What is Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing, often referred to as a pentest, is a critical cybersecurity assessment where a qualified expert simulates a real-world cyberattack to identify vulnerabilities in an organization’s IT infrastructure. In today’s threat landscape—driven by ransomware, phishing, and supply chain attacks—penetration testing has become a required control under many healthcare cybersecurity frameworks, including HIPAA, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), MIPS, and cyber insurance underwriting guidelines. A penetration test provides a comprehensive evaluation of your organization’s attack surface, uncovering vulnerabilities in systems, applications, and even employee behavior through simulated phishing and social engineering.
As healthcare and other industries rely more heavily on digital platforms, the protected health information (PHI) and sensitive data stored within these systems have become prime targets for threat actors. Penetration testing replicates the tactics of malicious hackers, helping organizations identify security gaps and remediate them before they are exploited. With compliance audits and cyber incidents on the rise, the question for most organizations is not whether to test—but how often and how deeply.
Does My Organization Need Penetration Testing?
Every organization, regardless of size, faces increasing cybersecurity threats. While large healthcare providers and enterprise networks may make headlines, small and mid-sized practices are frequently targeted, especially those with limited IT budgets or third-party vendor dependencies. Regulatory mandates and cyber insurance policies now often require annual or biannual penetration tests as part of a comprehensive risk management strategy.
For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) under requirement 11.3 demands regular penetration testing for any organization handling cardholder data. Similarly, HIPAA’s Security Rule and frameworks like the NIST CSF and MIPS Security Measures require proactive security evaluations to safeguard electronic PHI. Even when penetration testing isn’t explicitly mandated, most regulations expect organizations to regularly assess and mitigate known vulnerabilities, making penetration testing an essential practice for achieving and maintaining compliance.
The Pros of Penetration Testing
Brings a Proactive Human Perspective
Penetration testing introduces a strategic human element to an organization’s cyber risk management approach. Unlike automated vulnerability scans, human testers use attacker logic and adversarial tactics to identify real-world exploitation paths. This hands-on approach provides nuanced insights, especially useful in detecting zero-day threats, misconfigured APIs, and third-party software vulnerabilities.
Tailored to Regulatory and Organizational Needs
Each healthcare environment is different. Skilled penetration testers understand how to align assessments with your specific compliance landscape—whether it’s HIPAA, MIPS, or a cyber insurance policy’s minimum control set. While automated tools are valuable, testers add a deeper layer of understanding, delivering business-contextualized risk intelligence that automated tools often overlook.
Connects the Dots Between Low-Level Flaws
Automated scanners might flag dozens of isolated, low-severity issues. But attackers don’t think in isolation—they chain exploits together. Penetration testers can identify how minor misconfigurations, or outdated systems could be combined into a serious breach scenario, especially when mapped to frameworks like the MITRE ATT&CK or OWASP Top 10. This capability is crucial for protecting regulated healthcare data and meeting the standards of due diligence in today’s cyber risk environment.\
Delivers Actionable, Audit-Ready Reporting
At the conclusion of a pentest, your organization receives a formal report containing specific findings and remediation guidance, customized to your systems and infrastructure. These reports are not only valuable for internal security teams but can also serve as evidence of due care for regulatory audits, cyber insurance claims, or MIPS security attestations. Unlike generic scanner output, these reports are crafted by experts and mapped to real-world compliance and risk frameworks.
Identifying and Remediating Vulnerabilities Before They’re Exploited
Penetration testing is a key cybersecurity process where certified professionals simulate authorized cyberattacks to uncover vulnerabilities in your systems, applications, and networks—before threat actors can exploit them.
In today’s evolving threat landscape, healthcare organizations face increased targeting due to the high value of protected health information (PHI). Penetration testing provides a proactive defense strategy that introduces critical human analysis into your risk management efforts. This tailored assessment aligns with frameworks like HIPAA, NIST CSF, and cyber insurance requirements—
Penetration Testing
What is Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing, often referred to as a pentest, is a critical cybersecurity assessment where a qualified expert simulates a real-world cyberattack to identify vulnerabilities in an organization’s IT infrastructure. In today’s threat landscape—driven by ransomware, phishing, and supply chain attacks—penetration testing has become a required control under many healthcare cybersecurity frameworks, including HIPAA, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), MIPS, and cyber insurance underwriting guidelines. A penetration test provides a comprehensive evaluation of your organization’s attack surface, uncovering vulnerabilities in systems, applications, and even employee behavior through simulated phishing and social engineering.
As healthcare and other industries rely more heavily on digital platforms, the protected health information (PHI) and sensitive data stored within these systems have become prime targets for threat actors. Penetration testing replicates the tactics of malicious hackers, helping organizations identify security gaps and remediate them before they are exploited. With compliance audits and cyber incidents on the rise, the question for most organizations is not whether to test—but how often and how deeply.
Does My Organization Need Penetration Testing?
Every organization, regardless of size, faces increasing cybersecurity threats. While large healthcare providers and enterprise networks may make headlines, small and mid-sized practices are frequently targeted, especially those with limited IT budgets or third-party vendor dependencies. Regulatory mandates and cyber insurance policies now often require annual or biannual penetration tests as part of a comprehensive risk management strategy.
For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) under requirement 11.3 demands regular penetration testing for any organization handling cardholder data. Similarly, HIPAA’s Security Rule and frameworks like the NIST CSF and MIPS Security Measures require proactive security evaluations to safeguard electronic PHI. Even when penetration testing isn’t explicitly mandated, most regulations expect organizations to regularly assess and mitigate known vulnerabilities, making penetration testing an essential practice for achieving and maintaining compliance.
The Pros of Penetration Testing
Brings a Proactive Human Perspective
Penetration testing introduces a strategic human element to an organization’s cyber risk management approach. Unlike automated vulnerability scans, human testers use attacker logic and adversarial tactics to identify real-world exploitation paths. This hands-on approach provides nuanced insights, especially useful in detecting zero-day threats, misconfigured APIs, and third-party software vulnerabilities.
Tailored to Regulatory and Organizational Needs
Each healthcare environment is different. Skilled penetration testers understand how to align assessments with your specific compliance landscape—whether it’s HIPAA, MIPS, or a cyber insurance policy’s minimum control set. While automated tools are valuable, testers add a deeper layer of understanding, delivering business-contextualized risk intelligence that automated tools often overlook.
Connects the Dots Between Low-Level Flaws
Automated scanners might flag dozens of isolated, low-severity issues. But attackers don’t think in isolation—they chain exploits together. Penetration testers can identify how minor misconfigurations, or outdated systems could be combined into a serious breach scenario, especially when mapped to frameworks like the MITRE ATT&CK or OWASP Top 10. This capability is crucial for protecting regulated healthcare data and meeting the standards of due diligence in today’s cyber risk environment.\
Delivers Actionable, Audit-Ready Reporting
At the conclusion of a pentest, your organization receives a formal report containing specific findings and remediation guidance, customized to your systems and infrastructure. These reports are not only valuable for internal security teams but can also serve as evidence of due care for regulatory audits, cyber insurance claims, or MIPS security attestations. Unlike generic scanner output, these reports are crafted by experts and mapped to real-world compliance and risk frameworks.
Penetration Testing
What is Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing, often referred to as a pentest, is a critical cybersecurity assessment where a qualified expert simulates a real-world cyberattack to identify vulnerabilities in an organization’s IT infrastructure. In today’s threat landscape—driven by ransomware, phishing, and supply chain attacks—penetration testing has become a required control under many healthcare cybersecurity frameworks, including HIPAA, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), MIPS, and cyber insurance underwriting guidelines. A penetration test provides a comprehensive evaluation of your organization’s attack surface, uncovering vulnerabilities in systems, applications, and even employee behavior through simulated phishing and social engineering.
As healthcare and other industries rely more heavily on digital platforms, the protected health information (PHI) and sensitive data stored within these systems have become prime targets for threat actors. Penetration testing replicates the tactics of malicious hackers, helping organizations identify security gaps and remediate them before they are exploited. With compliance audits and cyber incidents on the rise, the question for most organizations is not whether to test—but how often and how deeply.
Does My Organization Need Penetration Testing?
Every organization, regardless of size, faces increasing cybersecurity threats. While large healthcare providers and enterprise networks may make headlines, small and mid-sized practices are frequently targeted, especially those with limited IT budgets or third-party vendor dependencies. Regulatory mandates and cyber insurance policies now often require annual or biannual penetration tests as part of a comprehensive risk management strategy.
For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) under requirement 11.3 demands regular penetration testing for any organization handling cardholder data. Similarly, HIPAA’s Security Rule and frameworks like the NIST CSF and MIPS Security Measures require proactive security evaluations to safeguard electronic PHI. Even when penetration testing isn’t explicitly mandated, most regulations expect organizations to regularly assess and mitigate known vulnerabilities, making penetration testing an essential practice for achieving and maintaining compliance.
The Pros of Penetration Testing
Brings a Proactive Human Perspective
Penetration testing introduces a strategic human element to an organization’s cyber risk management approach. Unlike automated vulnerability scans, human testers use attacker logic and adversarial tactics to identify real-world exploitation paths. This hands-on approach provides nuanced insights, especially useful in detecting zero-day threats, misconfigured APIs, and third-party software vulnerabilities.
Tailored to Regulatory and Organizational Needs
Each healthcare environment is different. Skilled penetration testers understand how to align assessments with your specific compliance landscape—whether it’s HIPAA, MIPS, or a cyber insurance policy’s minimum control set. While automated tools are valuable, testers add a deeper layer of understanding, delivering business-contextualized risk intelligence that automated tools often overlook.
Connects the Dots Between Low-Level Flaws
Automated scanners might flag dozens of isolated, low-severity issues. But attackers don’t think in isolation—they chain exploits together. Penetration testers can identify how minor misconfigurations, or outdated systems could be combined into a serious breach scenario, especially when mapped to frameworks like the MITRE ATT&CK or OWASP Top 10. This capability is crucial for protecting regulated healthcare data and meeting the standards of due diligence in today’s cyber risk environment.\
Delivers Actionable, Audit-Ready Reporting
At the conclusion of a pentest, your organization receives a formal report containing specific findings and remediation guidance, customized to your systems and infrastructure. These reports are not only valuable for internal security teams but can also serve as evidence of due care for regulatory audits, cyber insurance claims, or MIPS security attestations. Unlike generic scanner output, these reports are crafted by experts and mapped to real-world compliance and risk frameworks.
Network Security Assessment
Comprehensive Network Analysis
Network Security Assessments are a critical component of maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of your organization’s data and assets. Our team of experts will perform a thorough analysis of your network infrastructure, identifying any potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities. This includes examining your firewalls, routers, switches, and other networking devices to ensure they are properly configured and protected against external threats.
Proactively mitigate risks and protect your business from cyberattacks, data breaches, and other security incidents. Our assessment report will provide recommendations for improving your network security, and our team will work with you to implement these changes and ensure your network is secure.
vCISO
Virtual Chief Information Security Officer
Healthcare cybersecurity and compliance can be complex. A full-time CISO is a luxury few organizations can afford, but qualified information security leadership is a must. So, what do you do?
A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (or vCISO) provides the necessary leadership, strategic planning oversight, and guidance required to achieve compliance and minimize security risk to a healthcare organization.
Gap / Baseline Assessments
Identify Your Gaps and Roadmap to Compliance
Achieving readiness or certification on a regulation or framework typically involves a gap assessment. We conduct your gap assessment and provide you with a report and remediation roadmap for frameworks & regulations such as ISO 27001, SSAE18 SOC2, PCI-DSS, NIST-CSF, and many more.
NIST Compliance
Gap Assessment & Implementation Support
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes a Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to enable organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk.The NIST CSF consists of five core functions – Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. We assess organizations against the five core functions and their categories. This assessment reveals gaps between the framework and the client’s actual security program. Addressing these gaps enables clients improve their cybersecurity posture by implementing a robust, comprehensive cybersecurity framework.
PCI Compliance
Painless Payment Compliance Support
Depending on where you are in your compliance journey, you may be familiar with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The PCI DSS is a global standard by the PCI Council that provides a baseline of people, process and technology requirements designated to protect payment data and facilitate consistent data security measures.
PatientLock follows a comprehensive approach to assess and maintain your PCI DSS compliance and certification. Our highly qualified team with years of experience in this area will take the right steps needed to ensure your compliance.
CMMC Compliance
Get Ready for CMMC 2.0 Compliance
PatientLock provides CMMC readiness services to healthcare organizations on their path to certification against the CMMC standard.
HIPAA Risk Assessment
HIPAA Compliance Just Got Easier
PatientLock walks you through every step of the HIPAA process, from assessment to implementation and maintenance, telling you exactly what you need to meet expectations. Find out why hundreds of healthcare organizations trust our HIPAA Compliance services.
Our team of cybersecurity and compliance experts simplify HIPAA compliance into a few key steps — saving you time and limiting employee stress while making sure you stay compliant.
Incident Response (IR)
Be Prepared for Your Next Cyber Incident
Incident response is the systematic approach in which an organization handles a cyber incident or a breach. At a minimum, every organization must have a clear and comprehensive incident response plan outlining roles and responsibilities, process and procedures in the event of a cyber incident. Every person involved in executing the incident response must be trained and should have participated in a series of tests of the plan.
PatientLock is your trusted partner in incident response planning and testing. We work with you in the end-to-end process for incident response.
HITRUST Readiness
HITRUST CSF Framework Readiness Service
Achieve your objective in a timely and efficient manner with PatientLock’s HITRUST Readiness Services.
PatientLock will walk you through a Readiness Assessment for the HITRUST CSF Framework, remediate the gaps, and prepare for a successful, certifiable HITRUST Assessment.
HITRUST Readiness is designed to help you achieve HITRUST CSF Framework validation and compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to healthcare organizations.
Penetration Testing
Helping Identify and Remediate Vulnerabilities
Penetration testing is an IT security process where a skilled human resource simulates an authorized attack on a system with its primary goal being to identify any vulnerabilities.
Protecting your organization from cybersecurity threats requires you to take a proactive approach. Healthcare Organizations are prime targets for cyber criminals as the most recent data breach statistics have shown. Penetration testing is a proactive security process which introduces the human element needed in today’s current threat environment. It takes a holistic approach and is tailored to the unique needs of each organization.
Network Security Assessment
Comprehensive Network Analysis
Network Security Assessments are a critical component of maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of your organization’s data and assets. Our team of experts will perform a thorough analysis of your network infrastructure, identifying any potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities. This includes examining your firewalls, routers, switches, and other networking devices to ensure they are properly configured and protected against external threats.
Proactively mitigate risks and protect your business from cyberattacks, data breaches, and other security incidents. Our assessment report will provide recommendations for improving your network security, and our team will work with you to implement these changes and ensure your network is secure.