Penetration Testing in Chapel Hill, NC
Chapel Hill’s research institutions, UNC Health affiliates, and biotech startups store some of the most sensitive data in the Research Triangle. Petronella Technology Group, Inc. provides expert penetration testing for Chapel Hill organizations — simulating real-world attacks against your networks, applications, cloud environments, and medical systems to identify vulnerabilities before threat actors exploit them. Certified testers. Compliance-ready reporting. 30+ years of security expertise.
BBB Accredited Since 2003 • Founded 2002 • 2,500+ Clients • CMMC Certified Registered Practitioner
Find Vulnerabilities Before Attackers Do
Research data, patient records, and intellectual property make Chapel Hill a high-value target.
Protect Research Data
UNC-affiliated labs, biotech firms on Mason Farm Road, and research spin-offs throughout Chapel Hill manage genomic data, clinical trial results, and proprietary research worth millions. Penetration testing reveals the vulnerabilities that nation-state actors and criminal groups could exploit to steal this irreplaceable intellectual property.
Secure Healthcare Systems
UNC Health clinics, independent practices, and specialty providers throughout Chapel Hill run EHR systems, patient portals, and medical devices that must be tested for security weaknesses. Our pen testing identifies vulnerabilities in healthcare IT environments while maintaining the sensitivity that clinical operations require.
Meet Compliance Requirements
HIPAA, SOC 2, CMMC, NIST 800-171, and PCI DSS all require or strongly recommend regular penetration testing. For Chapel Hill organizations pursuing compliance certifications, our pen test reports provide the documented evidence auditors expect.
Validate Security Investments
Chapel Hill organizations invest significantly in firewalls, endpoint protection, and security tools. Penetration testing validates whether these investments actually work against real attack techniques — identifying gaps that automated tools miss and providing evidence that your security budget delivers measurable protection.
Penetration Testing for Chapel Hill’s Research & Healthcare Community
Chapel Hill is home to the University of North Carolina — the flagship of the UNC System with over $1.5 billion in annual research expenditures. UNC Health operates one of the largest healthcare systems in the Southeast, with hospitals, clinics, and research facilities concentrated in Chapel Hill. The biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies clustered near the UNC campus manage drug discovery data, clinical trial information, and patient records that represent some of the highest-value targets for cyber attackers in the Research Triangle.
Beyond healthcare and research, Chapel Hill’s business community includes law firms handling sensitive client matters, financial advisory firms managing client portfolios, technology startups building SaaS products, and nonprofit organizations serving the community. Each of these organizations stores data that attackers want — and each has a unique attack surface shaped by its industry, technology stack, and operational model.
Petronella Technology Group, Inc. provides penetration testing that goes far beyond automated vulnerability scanning. Our certified testers manually probe your Chapel Hill organization’s defenses using the same techniques, tools, and thinking employed by real-world threat actors. We test external perimeters, internal networks, web applications, APIs, cloud configurations, wireless infrastructure, social engineering susceptibility, and — for healthcare organizations — medical device network segments.
Every engagement delivers an executive summary for leadership and a detailed technical report with prioritized, actionable remediation guidance. For Chapel Hill organizations pursuing compliance certifications, our reports meet the documentation requirements of HIPAA risk assessments, SOC 2 audits, CMMC assessments, and PCI DSS validation.
Penetration Testing Services for Chapel Hill
Comprehensive testing across every attack surface relevant to Chapel Hill’s industries.
External Network Penetration Testing
We test your internet-facing infrastructure from an external attacker’s perspective — probing firewalls, VPN gateways, web servers, email systems, DNS, and any other exposed services. We identify misconfigurations, unpatched vulnerabilities, weak authentication mechanisms, and information leakage that could provide attackers with a foothold into your Chapel Hill network.
Deliverable: Detailed findings report with CVSS scores, proof-of-concept evidence, and prioritized remediation steps.
Internal Network Penetration Testing
Simulating an attacker who has gained initial access to your network, we test lateral movement paths, privilege escalation opportunities, Active Directory weaknesses, network segmentation effectiveness, and access to sensitive data stores. For Chapel Hill healthcare organizations, we specifically assess whether an attacker could move from a compromised workstation to EHR databases or patient records.
For research organizations, we test whether laboratory network segments are properly isolated from corporate networks and whether research data repositories have adequate access controls.
Web Application & API Testing
We test web applications, patient portals, research portals, and APIs for OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities including injection attacks, authentication flaws, authorization bypasses, cross-site scripting, and insecure data exposure. For Chapel Hill SaaS companies and research platforms, we assess the entire application attack surface including authentication, session management, business logic, and data validation.
Cloud Security Assessment
We assess cloud configurations in AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud against CIS Benchmarks and platform-specific security frameworks. IAM policies, storage access, network configurations, encryption settings, logging, and container security are all evaluated. For Chapel Hill organizations using cloud-hosted research platforms or clinical data systems, we ensure configurations meet both security best practices and compliance requirements.
Social Engineering & Phishing Assessment
We conduct targeted phishing campaigns and social engineering tests to evaluate your Chapel Hill workforce’s susceptibility to the attack vectors that most commonly lead to breaches. Results inform security awareness training priorities and help measure program effectiveness over time.
Wireless Security Testing
We assess wireless network security at your Chapel Hill facilities — testing encryption strength, authentication mechanisms, rogue access point detection, network segmentation between guest and corporate wireless, and wireless intrusion detection capabilities. For healthcare facilities with medical IoT devices on wireless networks, this testing is critical for identifying exposure.
How We Test Chapel Hill Organizations
A structured methodology that delivers actionable results without disrupting your operations.
Scoping & Rules of Engagement
We define test scope, target systems, testing windows, escalation procedures, and communication protocols. For Chapel Hill healthcare environments, we establish safeguards to ensure testing does not impact clinical operations or patient care systems.
Reconnaissance & Testing
Certified testers manually probe your systems using the same techniques employed by real attackers. We combine automated scanning with manual testing techniques to identify vulnerabilities that automated tools alone cannot detect.
Analysis & Reporting
We produce an executive summary for leadership and a detailed technical report with CVSS-scored findings, proof-of-concept evidence, exploitability assessment, and prioritized remediation guidance. Reports are formatted to meet compliance audit requirements.
Remediation Support & Retest
We walk your Chapel Hill IT team through every finding, provide remediation guidance, and offer retesting after fixes are implemented to verify vulnerabilities are resolved. Annual pen testing ensures your defenses stay current against evolving attack techniques.
Why Chapel Hill Chooses Petronella Technology Group, Inc. for Pen Testing
Healthcare & Research Expertise
We understand the sensitivity of testing healthcare and research environments. Our testers know how to probe EHR systems, LIMS platforms, and medical device networks without disrupting clinical or research operations.
Manual Testing, Not Just Scanning
Automated vulnerability scanners miss business logic flaws, chained exploits, and context-dependent vulnerabilities. Our certified testers manually probe your systems to find the vulnerabilities that automated tools cannot.
Compliance-Ready Reports
Our reports satisfy HIPAA risk assessment, SOC 2 audit, CMMC assessment, and PCI DSS validation requirements. For Chapel Hill organizations undergoing compliance audits, our pen test documentation provides the evidence auditors expect.
Remediation, Not Just Findings
We provide actionable remediation guidance and implementation support — not just a list of vulnerabilities. Our team helps your Chapel Hill organization fix the issues we find and validates fixes through retesting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Penetration Testing in Chapel Hill
Will penetration testing disrupt our Chapel Hill operations?
No. We scope testing carefully and establish safeguards to prevent disruption. For healthcare environments, we test during approved windows and avoid any actions that could impact patient care systems. Communication protocols ensure your team is always informed.
How often should we conduct penetration testing?
At minimum annually, and after any significant infrastructure change. HIPAA, SOC 2, and PCI DSS all recommend or require annual testing. Chapel Hill organizations with high-value data or active threat landscapes may benefit from semi-annual or continuous testing.
Can you test our healthcare systems for HIPAA compliance?
Yes. We test EHR systems, patient portals, medical device networks, and clinical infrastructure with the sensitivity that healthcare environments require. Our reports document findings in the format HIPAA risk assessments need.
What is the difference between a vulnerability scan and a penetration test?
A vulnerability scan is automated software that identifies known vulnerabilities. A penetration test is a human-led exercise where certified testers attempt to exploit vulnerabilities, chain findings together, and simulate real attack scenarios. Pen testing finds vulnerabilities that scanners miss, including business logic flaws and complex attack chains.
Can you test our cloud environment?
Yes. We assess AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud configurations against CIS Benchmarks. IAM, storage, networking, encryption, logging, and container security are all within scope.
Do you provide remediation support after the test?
Yes. We walk your team through findings, provide prioritized remediation guidance, assist with implementation when requested, and offer retesting to verify fixes. Our goal is not just to find vulnerabilities but to help you eliminate them.
How long does a penetration test take?
Testing typically takes one to three weeks depending on scope. External network tests are usually shorter, while comprehensive engagements including internal, web application, and cloud testing take longer. Final reports are delivered within one week of testing completion.
How do we get started?
Call 919-348-4912 or schedule a consultation. We begin with a scoping conversation to define test objectives, target systems, and timeline for your Chapel Hill organization. Most engagements begin within two weeks of scoping.
Ready to Test Your Chapel Hill Organization’s Defenses?
Schedule a penetration test with Petronella Technology Group, Inc. to identify vulnerabilities in your networks, applications, and cloud environments before attackers do. Compliance-ready reports. Expert remediation guidance. 30+ years of security expertise.
Petronella Technology Group, Inc. • 919-348-4912 • Raleigh, NC 27606 • BBB Accredited Since 2003 • Founded 2002 • 2,500+ Clients