Strategy and Solutions
The client was a large multi-hospital healthcare system with over 10,000 employees and operations across three states in the U.S. Their digital ecosystem included electronic health record (EHR) systems, medical imaging servers, laboratory information platforms, and third-party billing applications. As a HIPAA-covered entity, they were preparing for a scheduled compliance audit and needed to verify that all their digital systems met the stringent requirements for security, privacy, and availability of protected health information (PHI).
Zymr was engaged to perform a comprehensive penetration testing program, encompassing external network testing, internal assessments, application-level security testing, and social engineering exercises. The goal was to uncover vulnerabilities that could lead to data breaches, ransomware exposure, or HIPAA non-compliance, and to validate that implemented security measures were sufficient to protect sensitive patient data.
In summary, this engagement was a crucial pre-audit exercise to ensure the organization’s security posture met industry and regulatory expectations, reducing the risk of multimillion-dollar penalties and reputational damage.
The engagement began with multiple red flags in both infrastructure and process maturity, highlighting systemic weaknesses common across large healthcare systems.
Fragmented IT Landscape
The hospital network’s systems had grown organically over the years of acquisitions. Many applications were hosted on-premises with inconsistent patching and configuration management, increasing the risk of unmonitored vulnerabilities.
Unencrypted Data Paths
Initial discovery revealed several internal applications still transmitting sensitive patient data over unencrypted HTTP connections. Databases lacked transparent data encryption for PHI stored at rest.
Weak Access Controls
Multiple administrative accounts shared credentials, and privilege boundaries between departments were unclear. Role-based access control (RBAC) policies existed but were not fully enforced, allowing excessive permissions across non-critical systems.
Social Engineering Vulnerability
Healthcare staff—particularly administrative personnel—had limited exposure to phishing simulations or awareness training. Early testing showed that users were prone to clicking on malicious links and sharing login information under social pretexts.
Audit Readiness Concerns
The upcoming HIPAA audit required evidence of regular risk assessments, encryption of data in transit and at rest, access control enforcement, and staff training programs—all areas where the client’s documentation and controls were incomplete.
The client’s complex IT environment, coupled with fragmented security governance, created a fertile ground for potential compromise. Zymr’s mission was to expose critical weaknesses, validate compliance gaps, and create a clear remediation roadmap to achieve HIPAA readiness.
By partnering with Zymr, the healthcare network transformed compliance from a check-the-box activity into a pillar of trust and operational excellence. The organization now operates with validated security controls, encrypted data pathways, and continuous monitoring—ensuring both HIPAA compliance and patient trust.
This success story has become a model across the client’s partner network for how disciplined penetration testing, rapid remediation, and staff empowerment can safeguard patient data while meeting the highest standards of healthcare IT security.
In essence, Zymr helped the client achieve what every healthcare organization strives for: secure, compliant, and uninterrupted care delivery—built on a foundation of tested and proven cybersecurity resilience.
The engagement yielded substantial, measurable improvements across security, compliance, and audit readiness.
The results validated that disciplined penetration testing and structured remediation can rapidly transform an at-risk healthcare IT environment into a resilient, compliant, and audit-ready infrastructure.
Zymr implemented a multi-layered penetration testing and remediation approach designed to emulate real-world threat scenarios while minimizing operational disruption.
1. External and Internal Penetration Testing
Zymr’s security engineers began with black-box testing of the healthcare system’s external perimeter.
During internal testing, we simulated an insider attack by gaining initial access through a compromised endpoint and pivoting laterally across subnets.
2. Application and Database Security Testing
Zymr performed white-box testing of internal applications and databases handling PHI.
Remediation guidance included:
3. Social Engineering and Awareness Training
Zymr executed a controlled phishing campaign targeting clinical and administrative staff.
Remediation steps:
4. Remediation and Validation
Zymr worked closely with the IT security and compliance teams to implement and verify the fixes.
Zymr’s phased approach—testing, hardening, and validation—ensured that both technology and people were secured. By combining penetration testing with practical remediation and staff education, Zymr helped the healthcare network move from reactive risk management to proactive security governance.
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