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HIPAA Risk Assessment
Healthcare Pentesting

HIPAA Risk Assessment: How Penetration Testing Helps Secure ePHI

Introduction The United States standard for protecting healthcare information since 1996, when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was sign into law, is HIPAA. The privacy and security protection of the ePHI is the sole intention behind the act. Due to its global application by healthcare systems, ePHI cyberattacks have become a reality now. Penetration testing, perhaps the most effective method to guard against such attacks, is a simulation that simulates cyberattacks to discover vulnerabilities of the target organization’s infrastructure. This article will explore how penetration testing helps conduct HIPAA risk assessment and ePHI through first-hand experiences, case studies, and facts. Understanding HIPAA Risk Assessments.   Hippa risk assessment services is part of the measures health care organizations implement to ascertain risk to ePHI confidentiality, integrity, and availability. BAs and CEs, as HIPAA law mandates, should perform a series of risk analyses as they proceed towards compliance with Security Rule standards (45 CFR §164.308(a)(1)(ii)(A)). Risk analysis would then generally involve determining the risks to an organization’s systems, processes, and network that would lead to unauthorized access to the ePHI. Enumerating vulnerabilities, the organization would have to estimate the potential damage and probability of such a risk to take necessary steps to prevent such risks. Penetration Testing: A Key Element of HIPAA Risk Assessments This is an intrusive process in which trained hackers simulate actual attacks in an organization’s infrastructure to identify and take advantage of vulnerabilities before malicious attackers. Penetration testing, as per HIPAA Security Rule, allows organizations to ensure adequate security controls and effectively protect ePHI from cyberattacks. There are different ways in which penetration testing can be classified: 1. External Penetration Testing The process of external penetration testing an organization’s system that can access outside, i.e., email server, websites, and other interfaces outside. 2. Internal Penetration Testing Internal Penetration Testing is performed inside an organization’s network to evaluate internal security controls, including network segmentation and access control mechanisms. 3. Web Application Penetration Testing Submits web applications, which are used the most in healthcare organizations for scheduling programs, billing applications, and patient portals, to Web Application Penetration Testing to ensure their security and reliability. 4. Wireless Penetration Testing Secures the Wi-Fi network of the organization against encryption vulnerability or rogue access points through Wireless Penetration Testing. Latest Penetration Testing Report Download Penetration Testing Secures ePHI 1. Identification of Vulnerabilities HIPAA Compliance Service Providers help uncover weaknesses in systems, applications, and networks that are likely to be exploited by hackers. For example, if an unpatched system is at risk, an attacker gaining entry can leverage that access to escalate privileges and potentially acquire sensitive ePHI, giving them significant bargaining power. Case Study: In 2020, a healthcare services provider company discovered via penetration testing that the old software they used had a critical vulnerability. A cyber attacker might have exploited the system for nothing but patient data theft, which would have been HIPAA non-compliant. The vulnerability was patched before it was utilized for its intended malicious intent. 2. Modeling Real-World Attacks Penetration testing imitates the steps, processes, and forms of the attack employed in real-time attacks by cybercriminal hackers. HIPAA risk assessment companies often use this approach to provide real-time measurement of an organization’s ability to defend itself against potential intrusions. Statistic: In 2020, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, hacking or IT incidents accounted for 45% of healthcare data breaches. Healthcare organizations can apply penetration testing to simulate such breaches and evaluate their readiness to prevent them. 3. Testing Incident Response Capability Penetration testing discovers system vulnerabilities and checks an organization’s capacity to respond. A good quality HIPAA security assessment, which includes penetration testing, helps determine how well an organization can detect and respond to security breaches—an essential factor in minimizing exposure to electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). Case Study: While performing an internal penetration test on a hospital network belonging to them, attackers revealed multiple vulnerabilities on the network that attackers could utilize for lateral movement. The test helped their IT department harden their system to the point where the response time and intrusion detection became better, intrusion compromise chances for ePHI increased, and ultimately, information was made safer. 4. Improving Access Controls Penetration testing is most likely to uncover access control weaknesses like poor passwords, the absence of role-based access, or the lack of effective multi-factor authentication (MFA). This way, organizations can further guard themselves and ePHI. Statistical Fact: The healthcare industry has the highest average data breach cost of $7.13 million, as access controls are compromised, according to the Ponemon Institute 2020 Cost of a Data Breach Report. Penetration testing enables organizations to remediate such vulnerabilities before they become costly breaches. 5. Testing Network Segmentation Network segmentation is a critical security practice that reduces the exposure of ePHI. As part of a HIPAA security risk analysis, penetration testing would determine whether the network was effectively segmented and whether unauthorized personnel could access ePHI through lateral movement on the network. Case Study: One of the healthcare firms’ 2019 penetration testing identified that policy segmentation had directed the attackers’ point of entry into networks, such as patient information, following a breach of an insecure part of the network. Since the company had already applied hardening segmentation, it could reduce unauthorized entry risk to a very low level. Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Scanning Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning are both critical to the security of ePHI, but are different from each other. Facts about Penetration Testing 1. Healthcare Cybersecurity Environment 83% of the health care organizations were compromised in the past two years, among which 50% said that they had witnessed more than one breach, according to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute in 2021. Penetration testing should be performed regularly to identify likely attack surfaces and avoid such attacks. 2. Penetration Test Success Rate 77% of the organizations for which security program penetration testing was a part achieved breach mitigation and incident response time by 40%, according to a SANS Institute

Difference Between Internal and External Security Assessment
Cybersecurity Assessment Company

What Is The Difference Between Internal And External Security Assessment?

The primary advantage of conducting an internal and external security assessment, the internal security assessment usually requires accessibility into an internal system, is that it may detect devices that are susceptible and offer valuable information for updating procedures. To find drawbacks, an external assessment is carried out beyond the system and focuses on unique IP addresses.   Like an external security assessment, the external evaluation may additionally uncover unsecured ports and standards. In addition to identifying risks, infrastructure and software scans can verify conformity to multiple foundations. Internal Security Assessment: What Exactly Is It? Conducting internal security assessments requires connection to the system being scanned. Because they can inspect a larger portion of the system than an external assessment, these inspections reveal bugs at a deeper level. Internal scanning is well used if you require proof that patches have been applied or whenever you want to give an exhaustive assessment of network flaws.   Conducting internal security assessments requires connection to the system being scanned. Because they can inspect a larger portion of the system than an external assessment, these inspections reveal bugs at a deeper level. Internal scanning is well used if you require proof that patches have been applied or whenever you want to give an exhaustive assessment of risks to the network. Latest Penetration Testing Report Download External Security Assessment: What Exactly Is It? Assessments for external risk factors are conducted from a location other than the system you are monitoring. Your network’s external IP addresses remain the focus of these checks. In addition to the holes, these scans will provide an inventory of every port that is accessible over the Internet.   The optimal use case for external assessments occurs when you are required to confirm that your outside-facing offerings are strong. Similar to interior reviewing, external checking offers numerous advantages. Once more, by running these types of tests, you are protecting the system proactively. External Security Assessment reveals system flaws which can result in a problem.   One can swiftly figure out whatever your network’s primary problem is by seeing it through this perspective. Additionally, you may determine whether any newly installed systems or solutions during your previous assessment pose any fresh risks for your business. One can swiftly figure out whatever your network’s primary problem is by seeing it through this perspective. Additionally, you may determine whether any newly installed systems or solutions during your previous assessment pose any fresh risks for your business. What to Do After Post a Security Assessment? Once the images are complete, you should take action. These analyses are frequently conducted without any underlying evaluation. Assessment must be conducted in a manner that reduces the chance of missing a possible danger and that provides relevance for the business.   It has been taken in noticed analysis taking place through both a computerized process for alerting on the most important areas lacking and an in-depth assessment of the data. In any case, each examination must end in some kind of response.   Security risk assessment primary goal is to offer information that will help you strengthen the business’s general safety condition. The patch maintenance and risk mitigation procedures must involve the assessment stage.   Every assessment must be examined for any problematic areas, and IT leadership must be notified and given approval for the remedial measures.   Things that should be searched for throughout assessments rely on the organization and how it handles safety. However, don’t be taken aback by the potential hazard assessments that the majority of products offer. Security Assessment and Risk Evaluation. A risk evaluation includes a security assessment.   Security assessments are required for regulatory compliance, such as HIPAA security risk assessment or PCI. These assessments can also be conducted at the request of the organization’s upper-management leadership to further comprehend its risk posture. It is probably one of the very first activities during any risk assessment. It is performed on a network to learn more about the security posture of the respective organization. Doing such scans provides almost immediately the report on the security posture of the network. What Is The Most Effective Security Assessment For You? Depending on the company’s unique security demands and objectives, one can choose between internal and external security monitoring. An internal security scanner is an ideal option if finding weaknesses in your internal systems or addressing potential threats from insiders are your top priorities.    However, if you’d like to evaluate the security of the devices that are accessible over the web and find weaknesses that hackers from the outside might abuse an external security scanner is a preferable choice.   The most appropriate course of action is to employ an analyser such as Qualysec, which integrates the features of external and internal scans to provide a complete assessment of your security situation. Conclusion Although both internal and external security assessment scanners are essential for identifying CVEs and zero-days, they each perform different functions depending on their fields of concentration. To put it simply, external security assessments assist in identifying flaws that violent outside parties may take advantage of, whereas internal scanners are mostly used to evaluate threats throughout the network of a company. Effective use of both, or ideally a technology that brings together their qualities, can greatly improve your level of security and compliance with regulations. Talk to our Cybersecurity Expert to discuss your specific needs and how we can help your business. Schedule a Call FAQs Define external vulnerability scanning. An external vulnerability scan scans the outward-facing network and web applications entirely beyond the boundary of the organization to discover vulnerabilities or weaknesses which can be most probably attacked by hackers. What are the best open-source external vulnerability scanners? Nikto, OpenVAS, and W3AF are some of the best open-source external vulnerability scanners as a whole. What is the price range for good external vulnerability scanners? Qualysec is a good external vulnerability scanner that offers affordable flexible prices for an all-inclusive package.

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Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

COO & Cybersecurity Expert

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Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

COO & Cybersecurity Expert

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