Medical Overview
The medical and healthcare industry is one of the most heavily targeted sectors for cyberattacks due to the highly sensitive and regulated nature of the data it handles. Hospitals, clinics, private practices, and health tech companies all store and transmit a wide range of protected health information (PHI). This includes medical records, insurance details, Social Security numbers, and billing information. The industry continues to digitize through electronic health records (EHR), telemedicine platforms, cloud-based systems, and connected medical devices. Its exposure to cyber threats grows rapidly, often without the corresponding increase in security resources.
Risks
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), over 540 healthcare data breaches were reported in 2023 alone. Affecting more than 112 million individuals. The average cost of a healthcare data breach reached $10.93 million in 2023. This is the highest of any industry for the 13th consecutive year, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report. These incidents not only lead to regulatory penalties under HIPAA and HITECH. They also disrupt patient care, delay treatments, and erode public trust.
Penetration testing is a vital component of a strong cybersecurity strategy for healthcare providers. It allows medical organizations to proactively identify vulnerabilities in their web applications, internal networks, third-party integrations, cloud storage, and patient portals before threat actors can exploit them. Weak authentication protocols, exposed APIs, misconfigured servers, and outdated software are all common attack vectors in healthcare environments. With the added risk of ransomware attacks threatening to lock down life-saving systems, proactive security measures are critical.
Solutions
Shaka Cyber provides healthcare-focused penetration testing services designed to uncover hidden risks while maintaining compliance with HIPAA, HITECH, and other regulatory standards. Our team simulates real-world cyberattacks to assess the resilience of your digital infrastructure, without disrupting patient care or day-to-day operations. We evaluate everything from remote access configurations and cloud services to EHR platforms and internal segmentation to ensure your environment is secure. Our findings are delivered in clear, actionable reports, helping IT and compliance teams address vulnerabilities and improve long-term resilience.
Impact
As patient privacy laws tighten and threat actors grow more sophisticated, medical organizations cannot afford to wait until a breach occurs. Shaka Cyber helps healthcare providers of all sizes gain visibility into their security posture, meet compliance obligations, and ensure the safety of both patient data and critical systems. In a field where lives depend on reliability and trust, Shaka Cyber is your partner in building a secure, patient-first future.
