Your Patients Trust You with Their Lives.
Can You Trust Your Cybersecurity with Their Data?
Healthcare is the most targeted industry for cyberattacks, and the average breach now costs over $10 million. We protect hospitals, clinics, and medical practices with HIPAA-aligned cybersecurity built specifically for the threats healthcare organizations face every day.
Trusted by 2,500+ organizations since 2002. BBB A+ Accredited since 2003. Zero breaches among clients following our security program.
Why Healthcare Is Under Siege
Cybercriminals target healthcare because patient records sell for 10 to 40 times more than credit card numbers on the dark web. Here is what your organization is up against, and how we defend you.
HIPAA Compliance Shield
HIPAA violations carry fines up to $2.1 million per violation category per year. Our 39+ security controls map directly to every requirement of the HIPAA Security Rule, protecting your patients and your practice.
Ransomware Defense
Healthcare ransomware attacks increased 264% in recent years, with hospitals paying an average of $1.27 million per incident. We deploy layered defenses that stop ransomware before it locks a single patient file.
EHR/EMR Protection
Your electronic health records are the crown jewels of your practice. We secure EHR and EMR systems with encryption, access controls, audit logging, and continuous monitoring so patient data stays exactly where it belongs.
24/7 Threat Monitoring
Cyberattacks do not follow business hours, and neither do we. Our security operations center monitors your healthcare network around the clock, identifying and neutralizing threats before they reach your clinical systems.
Why Healthcare Is the Number One Target for Cyberattacks
Let us be blunt. Healthcare is not just another industry dealing with cybersecurity problems. It is the single most attacked sector in the United States, and it has held that position for over a decade. The reasons are straightforward: patient health information (PHI) is incredibly valuable, medical devices create massive attack surfaces, and the operational urgency of patient care means organizations often pay ransoms rather than risk lives.
Read More
A single patient record on the dark web can sell for $250 to $1,000 because it contains everything an identity thief needs: Social Security numbers, insurance details, medical history, billing information, and demographic data. A stolen credit card number, by comparison, might fetch $5. That difference in value makes your patient database one of the most lucrative targets a cybercriminal can pursue.
The explosion of telehealth, IoT-connected medical devices, and cloud-based electronic health records has dramatically expanded the attack surface. Infusion pumps, imaging systems, patient monitors, and even HVAC systems connected to hospital networks create entry points that attackers exploit. Many of these devices run outdated operating systems that cannot be patched, making them permanently vulnerable unless properly segmented and monitored.
At Petronella Technology Group, Inc., we understand these threats because we have been defending healthcare organizations against them since 2002. Craig Petronella, our founder, is a Licensed Digital Forensic Examiner, CMMC Certified Registered Practitioner, and MIT-certified cybersecurity professional with over 25 years of experience. Our approach to healthcare cybersecurity is not theoretical. It is built on two decades of protecting real practices, clinics, and healthcare systems from real attacks.
HIPAA Security Rule Compliance
Full implementation of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required by the HIPAA Security Rule. We conduct the mandatory annual security risk assessment and build the remediation plan that keeps you compliant year after year.
Medical Device Security
Network segmentation, access controls, and continuous monitoring for connected medical devices. We isolate vulnerable devices from your core clinical network and monitor them for anomalous behavior that could signal a compromise.
Telehealth Security
Secure the virtual care platforms your patients depend on. We encrypt telehealth sessions, harden video conferencing integrations, and ensure that remote patient interactions comply with HIPAA's transmission security requirements.
Breach Notification Preparedness
If the worst happens, every hour counts. We build your HIPAA breach notification procedures, coordinate with legal counsel, and ensure you meet the 60-day notification window required by the Breach Notification Rule.
Our Healthcare Cybersecurity Services
Every healthcare organization is different. A rural dental practice faces different risks than a multi-location hospital system. We tailor our 39+ security controls to your specific environment, patient population, and regulatory obligations.
HIPAA Security Risk Assessment
The HIPAA Security Rule requires every covered entity and business associate to conduct an accurate and thorough assessment of potential risks to ePHI. This is not optional. It is the single most cited deficiency in OCR enforcement actions. Our assessment evaluates every administrative, physical, and technical safeguard, identifies gaps, and produces an audit-ready report with a prioritized remediation roadmap. We have performed hundreds of these assessments since 2002.
Endpoint & Network Security
We deploy enterprise-grade endpoint detection and response (EDR), next-generation firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and network monitoring across your clinical environment. Every workstation, laptop, tablet, and server that touches ePHI is protected with real-time threat detection, automated response capabilities, and continuous vulnerability management that closes security gaps before attackers find them.
EHR/EMR System Hardening
Whether you run Epic, Cerner, Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, athenahealth, or another EHR platform, we harden the systems that store and transmit your patient data. This includes database encryption, role-based access controls, audit trail configuration, session timeout enforcement, and integration security for lab systems, imaging platforms, and pharmacy interfaces. We ensure your EHR meets every applicable HIPAA technical safeguard.
Security Awareness Training for Clinical Staff
Over 90% of healthcare breaches start with a phishing email. Your nurses, physicians, front desk staff, and billing team are your first line of defense, but only if they know what to look for. We deliver healthcare-specific security awareness training with realistic phishing simulations, social engineering scenarios, and HIPAA privacy refreshers designed to fit into busy clinical workflows without disrupting patient care.
Incident Response & Digital Forensics
When a security incident occurs, your response speed determines whether it is a minor event or a catastrophic breach. We develop and test your healthcare-specific incident response plan, coordinate breach notification procedures under HIPAA's 60-day rule, and provide in-house digital forensics capabilities led by Craig Petronella, a Licensed Digital Forensic Examiner. We contain, investigate, and remediate so you can focus on patient care.
Telehealth & Remote Access Security
Telehealth is here to stay, and so are the security risks it introduces. We secure your virtual care platforms with end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, secure VPN tunnels for remote clinicians, and HIPAA-compliant video conferencing configurations. Whether your providers are seeing patients from home offices or satellite clinics, we ensure every virtual encounter meets the same security standards as an in-person visit.
How We Secure Your Healthcare Organization
We follow a proven four-phase methodology designed specifically for healthcare environments. Every phase respects the operational realities of patient care while building a security posture that satisfies both regulators and cyber insurers.
HIPAA Gap Analysis
We begin with a comprehensive HIPAA Security Risk Assessment that maps your current safeguards against every requirement of the Security Rule. We inventory all systems that create, receive, maintain, or transmit ePHI, identify vulnerabilities, assess threat likelihood, and evaluate the potential impact of each risk. The result is a detailed gap analysis that shows you exactly where you stand.
Remediation Roadmap
Based on the gap analysis, we build a prioritized remediation plan that addresses critical risks first while managing your budget and minimizing disruption to clinical operations. We develop the security policies, procedures, and documentation that HIPAA demands, including Business Associate Agreements, workforce training plans, and contingency procedures.
Security Implementation
We deploy our 39+ security controls across your environment: endpoint protection, network segmentation, email security, encryption, access controls, backup systems, and monitoring tools. We work after hours and in maintenance windows to ensure zero disruption to patient care. Every implementation is tested and validated before going live.
Ongoing Monitoring & Compliance
Cybersecurity is not a project. It is a program. We provide continuous threat monitoring, quarterly vulnerability scans, annual risk assessment updates, ongoing staff training, and regular compliance reviews. As threats evolve and HIPAA guidance changes, we adapt your security program to stay ahead. You always know where you stand.
Healthcare Organizations We Protect
Whether you are a solo practitioner or a multi-site health system, we have the healthcare cybersecurity expertise to match your specific environment, regulatory obligations, and risk profile.
Hospitals & Health Systems
Large healthcare facilities manage thousands of connected devices, complex EHR integrations, and enormous volumes of patient data. A breach at this scale can disrupt care delivery for weeks and cost tens of millions in regulatory fines, lawsuits, and remediation.
We secure hospital networks with enterprise-grade segmentation, medical device isolation, privileged access management, and SOC-level monitoring that protects every department from the emergency room to the billing office.
Medical & Dental Practices
Small and mid-sized practices often assume they are too small to be targeted. That assumption is dangerously wrong. Attackers specifically target smaller practices because they tend to have weaker defenses and less sophisticated staff training. A single ransomware attack can shut down a practice for weeks.
We deliver right-sized cybersecurity for practices of every size, from solo practitioners to multi-provider clinics, with solutions that protect without overwhelming your budget or your staff.
Telehealth & Digital Health Providers
Virtual care platforms handle sensitive patient data across public networks, mobile devices, and cloud infrastructure. The security challenges are fundamentally different from traditional clinical settings, and the HIPAA requirements are just as stringent.
We secure telehealth platforms with encryption, secure API configurations, cloud security architecture reviews, and mobile device management that ensures patient data remains protected regardless of where care is delivered.
Business Associates & Healthcare Vendors
If you handle, store, or transmit ePHI on behalf of a covered entity, you are a Business Associate under HIPAA, and you are directly subject to the Security Rule. Billing companies, IT service providers, cloud hosting firms, and healthcare software vendors all fall under this umbrella.
We help Business Associates meet their HIPAA obligations, secure their systems, and demonstrate compliance to the covered entities they serve. Your clients are counting on your security posture. We make sure it holds up.
Long-Term Care & Senior Living Facilities
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and rehabilitation centers manage highly sensitive patient populations and are increasingly connected through electronic medication administration records, patient monitoring systems, and family communication portals.
We protect these vulnerable environments with staff-friendly security controls, patient monitoring system isolation, and compliance programs tailored to the unique operational requirements of long-term care.
Behavioral Health & Substance Abuse Providers
Mental health and substance abuse records carry additional federal protections under 42 CFR Part 2, making a breach in this sector not only a HIPAA violation but a violation of some of the most stringent privacy laws in the country. The stigma associated with these records makes a breach devastating for patients.
We implement the enhanced privacy controls and audit mechanisms that behavioral health providers need to protect their patients' most sensitive information while meeting both HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 requirements.
Why Healthcare Organizations Choose Petronella Technology Group, Inc.
Most IT companies claim they can handle healthcare. Few actually understand the regulatory landscape, the clinical workflow constraints, and the life-or-death stakes of healthcare cybersecurity. Here is what sets us apart.
Healthcare-Native Security Expertise
We do not bolt healthcare compliance onto a generic IT offering. Our team has protected healthcare organizations since 2002, working directly with EHR platforms like Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, and practice management systems. We understand clinical workflows, HIPAA's nuances, and the operational realities of delivering patient care in a connected environment. That deep domain knowledge is something most IT providers simply cannot match.
Zero Breaches Among Compliant Clients
Among all clients who follow our comprehensive security program, we maintain a verified record of zero breaches. This is the result of our defense-in-depth approach that layers 39+ security controls across every vector of attack. In an industry where the average breach costs over $10 million, our track record is not just a statistic. It is the difference between a thriving practice and a catastrophic loss.
Digital Forensics Capability
When healthcare organizations suffer a breach, they need forensic answers fast. How did the attacker get in? What data was accessed? Has the threat been fully contained? Craig Petronella is a Licensed Digital Forensic Examiner with over 25 years of experience. Our in-house forensics capability means we can investigate incidents immediately without waiting for a third-party firm, saving critical hours during the most vulnerable moments of a breach response.
Full-Spectrum Security & IT Partner
Unlike standalone compliance consultants who hand you a report and walk away, we provide the complete ecosystem of services healthcare organizations need. From managed IT services and HIPAA compliance to penetration testing and incident response, you get one trusted partner for everything. No finger-pointing between vendors, no communication gaps, no blind spots.
HIPAA Compliance: What You Actually Need to Know
HIPAA is not one rule. It is a complex framework of regulations that cover security, privacy, and breach notification. Most healthcare organizations think they are compliant because they have a policy manual gathering dust in a drawer. That is not compliance. Here is what HIPAA actually requires.
The Security Rule
The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national standards for protecting ePHI. It requires covered entities and business associates to implement administrative safeguards (risk analysis, workforce training, contingency planning), physical safeguards (facility access controls, workstation security, device disposal), and technical safeguards (access controls, audit controls, transmission security, integrity controls). Our HIPAA security program addresses every safeguard specification.
The Privacy Rule
The Privacy Rule governs how PHI can be used and disclosed. It establishes patient rights to access their records, requires minimum necessary standards for information sharing, and mandates Notice of Privacy Practices. While primarily a legal and operational framework, the Privacy Rule intersects directly with cybersecurity through access controls, audit trails, and data minimization practices that our security program enforces.
The Breach Notification Rule
When a breach of unsecured PHI occurs, covered entities must notify affected individuals within 60 days, report to HHS, and in cases involving 500 or more individuals, notify prominent media outlets. The Breach Notification Rule also requires Business Associates to report breaches to covered entities. We prepare your notification procedures, communication templates, and escalation protocols before a breach happens, so you are never scrambling to meet deadlines during a crisis.
Annual Risk Assessment
The number one finding in OCR enforcement actions is the failure to conduct a thorough, organization-wide risk assessment. This is not a checkbox exercise. It requires identifying every system that touches ePHI, evaluating current threats and vulnerabilities, determining the likelihood and impact of potential incidents, and documenting your risk management decisions. We make this process structured, repeatable, and defensible.
Business Associate Agreements
Every vendor, contractor, or partner who handles ePHI on your behalf must sign a Business Associate Agreement. But signing the BAA is just the beginning. You need to verify that your business associates actually maintain adequate security controls. We help you evaluate vendor security posture, track BAA compliance, and manage the third-party risk that is one of healthcare's largest blind spots.
Enforcement & Penalties
HIPAA penalties are structured in four tiers based on the level of negligence, ranging from $137 per violation for unknowing violations to $2,134,831 per violation category for willful neglect not corrected. The HHS Office for Civil Rights has collected over $142 million in enforcement actions. State attorneys general can also bring HIPAA enforcement actions. The cost of non-compliance far exceeds the cost of building a proper security program.
Healthcare Ransomware: The Existential Threat
Ransomware does not just encrypt files in healthcare. It diverts ambulances, delays surgeries, and puts lives at risk. Here is how we build a healthcare ransomware defense that works.
| Attack Vector | The Threat | Our Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Phishing Emails | 90%+ of ransomware attacks begin with a phishing email targeting clinical or administrative staff | Advanced email filtering, real-time link sandboxing, healthcare-specific phishing simulation training |
| Unpatched Systems | Medical devices and legacy systems running outdated OS versions create permanent vulnerabilities | Network segmentation, virtual patching, continuous vulnerability scanning, medical device isolation |
| Remote Access | Exposed RDP, VPN vulnerabilities, and weak credentials provide direct network access to attackers | Multi-factor authentication, zero-trust access policies, encrypted VPN tunnels, privileged access management |
| Third-Party Vendors | Business associates with weak security become entry points into your network | Vendor risk assessments, network access segmentation, BAA compliance monitoring, supply chain security |
| Data Exfiltration | Modern ransomware gangs steal data before encrypting, enabling double-extortion attacks | Data loss prevention, egress monitoring, encrypted backups, immutable backup copies, rapid recovery testing |
Healthcare Cybersecurity FAQ
Answers to the questions healthcare leaders ask us most often about cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance.
How often does HIPAA require a security risk assessment?
HIPAA does not specify a fixed frequency, but the HHS Office for Civil Rights has consistently stated that risk assessments should be conducted at least annually and whenever significant changes occur in your environment, such as new EHR systems, office relocations, staff changes, or new clinical workflows. In practice, annual assessments are the industry standard and the minimum expectation during an OCR investigation. We conduct thorough annual risk assessments and update them as your environment changes throughout the year.
We are a small practice. Are we really a target for hackers?
Yes. Small practices are disproportionately targeted precisely because attackers know they typically have weaker defenses, less security training, and smaller IT budgets. Automated attack tools scan the entire internet for vulnerable systems. They do not care how many employees you have. If your systems are exposed, you will be found. The OCR "Wall of Shame" includes numerous breaches affecting practices with fewer than 50 employees. Our cybersecurity programs are designed to be right-sized and affordable for practices of every size, from solo practitioners to large multi-specialty groups.
Can you secure our EHR system without disrupting patient care?
Absolutely. We have been working with healthcare EHR systems since 2002, including Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, athenahealth, and many others. We understand that clinical downtime is not an option. All security implementations are planned around your clinical schedule, performed during maintenance windows or after hours, and tested extensively before going live. Our approach is designed to strengthen security without creating friction for clinicians, nurses, or administrative staff accessing the systems they depend on for patient care.
What is the difference between HIPAA compliance and actual cybersecurity?
This is a critical distinction that many healthcare organizations miss. HIPAA compliance is the regulatory floor. It establishes minimum standards for protecting ePHI. But compliance alone does not make you secure. An organization can technically satisfy HIPAA requirements and still be vulnerable to modern attack techniques. True cybersecurity goes beyond compliance to implement defense-in-depth strategies, real-time threat detection, proactive threat hunting, and continuous security testing. Our approach delivers both: full HIPAA compliance as the baseline, plus the advanced security controls that actually stop today's attackers.
How do you handle medical device security?
Medical devices present unique challenges because many run legacy operating systems that cannot be updated, were not designed with cybersecurity in mind, and communicate using proprietary protocols. Our approach includes comprehensive device inventory and classification, network segmentation to isolate medical devices from the broader clinical network, micro-segmentation for high-risk devices, anomaly detection that monitors device communication patterns for signs of compromise, and virtual patching through network-level controls when device-level patching is impossible. We work within the constraints of FDA-cleared devices while maximizing security.
What should we do immediately if we suspect a breach?
Call us immediately at 919-348-4912. Time is critical during a breach. While you wait for our response team, do not shut down systems unless actively directed to do so, as this can destroy forensic evidence. Do not communicate about the incident over potentially compromised email. Document everything you observe, including timestamps. Isolate affected systems from the network if possible without powering them off. Our incident response and digital forensics team will take over from there, containing the threat, preserving evidence, and guiding you through HIPAA's breach notification requirements.
Do you also provide managed IT services for healthcare?
Yes. In addition to our cybersecurity services, we provide comprehensive managed IT services for healthcare organizations. This includes help desk support for clinical staff, EHR system administration, HIPAA-compliant cloud hosting, network management, hardware procurement, and day-to-day IT operations. Having one partner handle both your IT infrastructure and your cybersecurity eliminates the dangerous gaps that occur when multiple vendors point fingers at each other during a crisis.
How do you secure telehealth platforms?
Telehealth security requires a multi-layered approach. We implement end-to-end encryption for video and audio sessions, multi-factor authentication for provider access, secure configuration of video conferencing platforms, encrypted data transmission for patient records shared during virtual visits, session logging and audit trails for HIPAA compliance, and mobile device management for providers conducting telehealth from personal devices. We also evaluate your telehealth platform vendor's security posture and BAA compliance to ensure the entire chain of custody for patient data is protected.
Your Patients Deserve Better Than Hope as a Security Strategy
The average healthcare data breach costs over $10 million. HIPAA fines can reach $2.1 million per violation category. Ransomware can shut down your practice for weeks. The question is not whether you can afford healthcare cybersecurity. It is whether you can afford to go without it.
Join the 2,500+ organizations that trust Petronella Technology Group, Inc. for their cybersecurity. Get a free HIPAA security assessment and find out exactly where your practice stands today.
Petronella Technology Group, Inc. — 5540 Centerview Dr. Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606 — [email protected]