HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA Risk Assessment Services

A HIPAA Security Risk Assessment is the foundation of every compliance program. PTG provides comprehensive risk assessments that identify vulnerabilities to Protected Health Information (PHI) and deliver actionable remediation plans for healthcare organizations in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and throughout North Carolina.

Schedule Your Assessment Call 919-348-4912

Why HIPAA Risk Assessments Matter

The HIPAA Security Rule (45 CFR 164.308(a)(1)(ii)(A)) requires covered entities and business associates to conduct an accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI. This is not optional -- it is the single most important requirement for HIPAA compliance.

Regulatory Requirement

The OCR has identified failure to perform an adequate risk analysis as the most common HIPAA violation in enforcement actions. A proper risk assessment is mandatory, not optional.

Breach Prevention

Risk assessments identify security gaps before they are exploited. Understanding where your vulnerabilities lie is the first step toward preventing breaches of patient health information.

MACRA/MIPS Compliance

A Security Risk Assessment satisfies the Promoting Interoperability requirements under MACRA/MIPS, which are tied to Medicare reimbursement for eligible clinicians and hospitals.

Our Assessment Process

PTG follows the methodology recommended by the HHS Office for Civil Rights and aligns with NIST SP 800-30 and NIST SP 800-66 guidance for healthcare risk assessments.

1

Scope & Inventory

Identify all systems that create, receive, maintain, or transmit ePHI. Document data flows, storage locations, and access points across your organization.

2

Threat & Vulnerability Identification

Identify potential threats (human, environmental, technical) and vulnerabilities in your administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.

3

Current Controls Assessment

Evaluate existing security controls and their effectiveness in mitigating identified threats. Review policies, procedures, and technical implementations.

4

Risk Determination

Assess the likelihood and impact of threats exploiting identified vulnerabilities. Assign risk ratings based on the potential impact to ePHI confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

5

Documentation & Remediation Plan

Deliver comprehensive documentation including an executive summary, detailed findings, and a prioritized Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) for addressing identified risks.

Assessment Deliverables

Executive Summary Report

High-level overview of your compliance posture for leadership review, including overall risk score and priority areas for remediation.

Detailed Findings Report

Comprehensive documentation of all identified threats, vulnerabilities, and risk determinations with specific reference to HIPAA Security Rule requirements.

Plan of Action & Milestones

Prioritized remediation roadmap with actionable steps, responsible parties, and target completion dates for addressing each identified gap.

HIPAA Compliance Certificate

Upon completion, receive a certificate of completion that can be shared with vendors and business partners to demonstrate your commitment to compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a HIPAA Risk Assessment take?
The timeline varies based on organization size and complexity. For a typical small-to-medium practice, the assessment process takes approximately 2-4 weeks from kickoff to final deliverables. Larger organizations may require additional time.
Is this assessment sufficient for MACRA/MIPS requirements?
Yes, PTG's HIPAA Security Risk Assessment satisfies the Promoting Interoperability requirements under MACRA/MIPS. The final deliverable is a comprehensive PDF showing your compliance status.
What is the difference between a risk assessment and a vulnerability scan?
A vulnerability scan is a technical tool that identifies known software vulnerabilities. A risk assessment is a broader evaluation that examines administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, identifies threats, determines risk levels, and produces a remediation plan. Both are important, but a risk assessment is the comprehensive requirement under HIPAA.
Can you help remediate the issues found during the assessment?
Yes, PTG provides both assessment and remediation services. After completing your risk assessment, our team can help implement the necessary controls, deploy security infrastructure, develop policies, and train your workforce to address identified gaps.

Schedule Your HIPAA Risk Assessment

Protect your patients' health information and meet your compliance obligations. PTG's certified HIPAA experts serve healthcare organizations throughout the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and beyond.

Get Started Call 919-348-4912

Why Choose Petronella Technology Group

Petronella Technology Group has been a trusted IT and cybersecurity partner for businesses across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, and the Research Triangle since 2002. Led by CEO Craig Petronella, a Licensed Digital Forensic Examiner, CMMC Certified Registered Practitioner, and MIT-certified professional in cybersecurity, AI, blockchain, and compliance, PTG brings deep expertise to every engagement.

With BBB accreditation since 2003 and more than 2,500 businesses served, PTG has the experience and track record to deliver results. Craig Petronella is an Amazon number-one best-selling author of books including "How HIPAA Can Crush Your Medical Practice," "How Hackers Can Crush Your Law Firm," and "The Ultimate Guide To CMMC." He has been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and WRAL, and serves as an expert witness for law firms in cybercrime and compliance cases.

PTG holds certifications including CCNA, MCNS, Microsoft Cloud Essentials, and specializes in CMMC 2.0, NIST 800-171/172/173, HIPAA, FTC Safeguards, SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, and ISO 27001 compliance. Our forensic specialties include endpoint and networking cybercrime investigation, data breach forensics, ransomware analysis, data exfiltration investigation, cryptocurrency and blockchain analysis, and SIM swap fraud investigation.

The PTG Compliance Process

Achieving and maintaining regulatory compliance requires a structured, repeatable process. PTG has developed a proven compliance methodology refined over more than two decades of helping businesses navigate complex regulatory requirements. Our process begins with a comprehensive gap assessment that evaluates your current policies, procedures, and technical controls against the specific requirements of your target framework. This assessment identifies exactly where your organization stands and what needs to be done to achieve compliance.

Following the gap assessment, PTG develops a prioritized remediation roadmap that outlines every action item needed to close identified gaps. We categorize items by risk level and effort required, allowing organizations to address the most critical deficiencies first while planning for longer-term improvements. Our consultants work alongside your team to implement technical controls, develop required policies and procedures, create employee training programs, and establish the documentation and evidence collection processes needed to demonstrate compliance during audits and assessments.

Compliance is not a one-time project but an ongoing commitment. Regulations evolve, threats change, and business environments shift. PTG provides continuous compliance monitoring services that track your compliance status in real time, alert you to emerging gaps, and ensure that your security controls remain effective. We conduct regular internal audits, update policies as regulations change, and prepare your organization for external audits or assessments. Our goal is to make compliance a natural part of your business operations rather than a periodic scramble to meet audit deadlines.

For organizations subject to multiple compliance frameworks, PTG takes a unified approach that maps overlapping requirements across frameworks. Rather than implementing separate programs for each regulation, we build a comprehensive security and compliance program that satisfies multiple requirements simultaneously. This integrated approach reduces costs, eliminates redundant processes, and provides a clearer picture of your overall security and compliance posture, making it easier to manage ongoing obligations and demonstrate compliance to auditors, clients, and business partners.

Our Approach to Cybersecurity

At Petronella Technology Group, cybersecurity is not just about installing antivirus software or setting up a firewall. We take a comprehensive, layered approach to security that addresses people, processes, and technology. Our methodology is built on industry-standard frameworks including NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, and MITRE ATT&CK, ensuring that your security program is aligned with the same standards used by Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Every engagement begins with a thorough assessment of your current security posture, followed by a prioritized remediation roadmap that addresses your most critical risks first.

Our security operations team provides continuous monitoring through our Security Information and Event Management platform, which correlates events across your entire environment to detect threats in real time. When a potential threat is identified, our analysts investigate and respond immediately, often containing threats before they can cause damage. This proactive approach dramatically reduces the risk of successful cyberattacks and provides the rapid response capability that is essential in today's threat landscape.

We believe that employee awareness is one of the most important layers of defense. Human error remains the leading cause of data breaches, and no amount of technology can fully compensate for untrained employees. PTG provides comprehensive security awareness training programs that educate your team about phishing, social engineering, password security, data handling, and incident reporting. Our training programs include simulated phishing campaigns that test employee readiness and identify areas where additional education is needed, helping organizations build a strong security culture from the ground up.

Beyond prevention, PTG prepares organizations for the reality that breaches can occur despite the best defenses. Our incident response planning services help businesses develop, document, and test response procedures so that when an incident does occur, your team knows exactly what to do. From tabletop exercises to full incident simulations, we ensure that your organization is prepared to respond quickly and effectively, minimizing damage, preserving evidence, and meeting all regulatory notification requirements within required timeframes.

Additional Questions and Answers

What compliance frameworks does PTG help businesses implement?
PTG helps businesses implement and maintain compliance with a wide range of frameworks including CMMC 2.0, NIST 800-171 and 800-172, HIPAA, FTC Safeguards Rule, SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, and ISO 27001. Our compliance consultants work with organizations in Raleigh, Durham, and the Research Triangle to assess current gaps, develop remediation roadmaps, implement required controls, create policy documentation, and prepare for third-party audits or assessments. We take a unified approach that addresses multiple frameworks simultaneously to reduce duplication of effort.
How long does it take to achieve compliance certification?
The timeline varies significantly depending on the framework, organization size, and current security maturity. HIPAA compliance can often be achieved in three to six months with dedicated effort. CMMC Level 2 certification typically requires six to twelve months of preparation. SOC 2 Type II requires a minimum audit observation period of six months. ISO 27001 implementation generally takes six to twelve months. PTG helps organizations develop realistic timelines and prioritize the most critical controls to achieve compliance as efficiently as possible while building a sustainable long-term security program.
What happens if a business fails a compliance audit?
Failing a compliance audit can result in financial penalties, loss of business contracts, reputational damage, and in some cases, legal liability. HIPAA violations can result in fines ranging from one hundred dollars to fifty thousand dollars per violation, up to one and a half million dollars annually per violation category. CMMC non-compliance means losing eligibility for Department of Defense contracts. PCI DSS non-compliance can result in increased transaction fees and loss of payment processing capabilities. PTG helps businesses avoid these consequences through thorough pre-audit preparation, gap assessments, and continuous compliance monitoring.
What is the difference between SOC 2 Type I and Type II?
SOC 2 Type I evaluates the design of your security controls at a specific point in time, providing a snapshot of your security posture. SOC 2 Type II evaluates both the design and operating effectiveness of your controls over a period of time, typically six to twelve months. Type II is considered more rigorous and valuable because it demonstrates that your controls consistently work as intended over an extended period. Most enterprise clients and partners require SOC 2 Type II reports when evaluating vendors. PTG helps organizations prepare for and maintain both types of SOC 2 compliance.
Can one compliance framework satisfy multiple regulatory requirements?
Yes, many compliance frameworks share overlapping controls and requirements. Implementing NIST 800-171 provides a strong foundation for CMMC 2.0 compliance. ISO 27001 maps to many SOC 2 and HIPAA requirements. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework aligns with virtually all other frameworks. PTG takes a unified compliance approach, helping organizations implement controls that satisfy multiple frameworks simultaneously. This integrated strategy reduces duplication of effort, lowers costs, and creates a more cohesive security program that addresses all applicable regulatory requirements without redundant processes or documentation.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact Petronella Technology Group today for a free consultation. Serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the Research Triangle since 2002.

919-348-4912 Schedule a Free Consultation

5540 Centerview Dr., Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606