Healthcare Cyber Security Challenges
Healthcare organisations operate complex, interconnected environments containing sensitive data, critical services and a growing number of third-party technologies.
Patient portals, clinical applications, APIs, cloud platforms and connected systems improve access to care, but they also create more opportunities for attackers. A single weakness in authentication, access controls, or system configuration can expose confidential information, disrupt essential services, or provide a route into the wider infrastructure.
Healthcare cyber security therefore requires more than policies and automated vulnerability scans. Organisations need independent healthcare penetration testing that examines how systems respond to realistic attack techniques and whether existing controls provide effective protection.
Increasing Attack Surfaces
Healthcare environments increasingly depend on cloud platforms, APIs, remote access services, third-party integrations and externally accessible applications.
Each new connection can introduce vulnerabilities or create unintended attack paths.
Sensitive Patient and Business Data
Healthcare systems may process medical records, patient contact details, account information, payment data and commercially sensitive information.
Penetration testing for healthcare systems helps determine whether sensitive data can be accessed, altered or extracted without authorisation.
Complex Applications and User Permissions
Healthcare platforms often support multiple user types, organisations and levels of access.
Weaknesses in role permissions or tenant separation can allow users to access records or functionality intended for another account, role or organisation. Our testing assesses horizontal and vertical access controls to identify these risks.
Benefits of Healthcare Penetration Testing
Healthcare penetration testing helps your organisation move from assumptions about security to evidence.
Rather than relying solely on automated scanning or control checklists, our consultants test how your systems respond to realistic attack techniques. This provides a clearer understanding of which vulnerabilities are genuinely exploitable and which risks should be addressed first.
Identify Vulnerabilities Before Attackers Do
Our testing identifies weaknesses across applications, APIs, infrastructure and cloud environments before they can be exploited by malicious actors.
Protect Patient Data
We assess whether attackers or unauthorised users could access, alter or extract sensitive healthcare information.
Reduce the Risk of Service Disruption
Identifying vulnerabilities early gives your organisation the opportunity to remediate them before they contribute to outages, ransomware incidents or disruption to critical digital services.
Support Customer and Procurement Assurance
Independent healthcare penetration testing demonstrates that your systems have been assessed by experienced security professionals.
Penetration Testing Services for Healthcare
Web Application Penetration Testing
Assess patient portals, clinician platforms, administrative systems and other web-based applications.
Network Penetration Testing
Assess internal and external networks for vulnerabilities that could provide unauthorised access to systems and services.
API Penetration Testing
Assess the APIs connecting patient-facing applications, mobile platforms, clinical systems and third-party services.
Mobile Application Penetration Testing
Assess iOS and Android applications used by patients, clinicians or internal teams.
Cloud Penetration Testing
Assess cloud-hosted healthcare systems across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
Social Engineering Testing
Testing can help identify weaknesses in awareness, reporting procedures and organisational controls without disrupting patient services.
Our Healthcare Penetration Testing Process
Contact a consulting team member by phone, email, or pigeon post. We will then discuss whether we can help you and arrange a scoping meeting to discuss your requirements.
In the scoping meeting, our team will discuss your requirements in further detail. Our team will ask questions regarding the following:
- Assets
- Asset Locations
- Test Perspective
- Objectives
- Scoping
- Date & Time
- Technologies
- Frameworks
Our expert consultants will discuss and finalise which digital assets you need testing in the scoping meeting. Based on the requirements, we will then assemble a project proposal and quote and agree on a schedule for conducting the security assessment.
Our proposal document will include the following information:
- Client Information
- Test Perspective
- Test Constraints
- Test Framework
- Scope Information
- Determined Scope
- Deliverables
- Quote & Authorisation (Signature)
The Penetration Testing starts. A member of our Penetration Testing team will liaise with a member of your company throughout the entire testing process. You will be the first to know if we have any questions or concerns. Our testing team will be on hand throughout the penetration test lifecycle to answer any questions or concerns.
Our tester will:
- Keep you updated
- Provide end of day summaries
- Liaise with the point of contact
- Test using a strict methodology
- Document evidence
- Maintain confidentiality
- Provide real-time alerts
- Deliver detailed reports
A Penetration Test is useless without a well-written report. Our reports are written in plain English, concise, and thoroughly documented. The Penetration Test Report is typically furnished within 5 days after the testing phase is complete. If you are interested in seeing an example report, please contact our team.
Each report details the following:
- Context & Objectives
- Mailing List
- Period and Confidentiality
- Perimeter & Scope
- Environment Overview
- Executive Summary
- Findings Summary & Table
- Technical Details
At Sencode, we offer free retesting for every Penetration Test we conduct. You fix the issues; then we will verify they can no longer be exploited by an attacker. Our team will arrange a mutually suitable time to conduct the retest, after the remediation efforts have taken place.
Our tester will follow these steps:
- Arrange Access
- Ask what issues have been resolved
- Retest the issues in the report
- Provide end of day summaries
- Update the document
- Deliver the document
- Offer a retest debriefing
- Debrief with your team
Deliver a Security Testing Certificate
Our clients receive a testing certificate that can be shared with partners and customers, showing that their company takes security seriously. The certificate and document are designed to be easily digested by third-party suppliers; the document removes the technical details and can be safely distributed.
The Security Testing Certificate is available on request after the retest has been completed. The security certificate shows:
- Date of the assessment
- Company name
- Client name
- Outstanding issues
- Resolved Issues
- Updated risk profile
- Environment Overview
- Executive Summary
What does choosing a CREST provider mean?
CREST accreditation is an independent, rigorous assessment of technical competence, process and data security. Choosing a CREST-accredited provider means your testing is delivered to a standard you can trust – and evidence you can stand behind.
Certified Penetration Testing Consultants
Our consultants are highly trained and individually certified.
Proven Pen Test Methodologies
Our pen testing follows recognised best practices: PTES, OWASP, and NIST.
Compliant reporting
Our reports provide executive context, technical evidence, risk-rated findings and practical remediation guidance.
ISO aligned
Our information security and quality policies align with ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.
Grey, Black and White Box Penetration Testing
At Sencode, we test from every perspective. Not sure which fits your needs? Speak to a member of our team; our experts are on hand to advise.
Client Testimonials
Don’t just trust our word for it; hear what our clients have to say about working with our team.
“The team at Sencode are flexible and easy to work with while also being extremely diligent and professional in what they do. As a result, we regard Sencode as a critical partner in ensuring our software is properly tested.”
Chief Technical Officer
Huler
“We held a briefing meeting with Callum to demo the system, answer relevant questions, and provide access for testing. Once the testing was completed, the report was efficient and comprehensive.”
Project Manager
Trinity College Dublin
“The team was super friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to chat with us. They did really great work, and I’m very happy that we got to work with them.”
IT Director
Diversity and Ability
“All conversations with Sencode have been very easy, and it’s clear that the team know their stuff. From the initial chat to the retesting process, we’ve been kept informed and supported throughout.”
Digital Lead
Verve Group
“Sencode have conducted our penetration testing for the last two years. Each time, they were professional, polite and kept us informed throughout the process. The reports were received in a timely manner and were concisely written. All this and at a competitive rate.”
Technical Engineer
Pip Studios
“Working with Sencode has been brilliant. You can tell they genuinely love what they do – it shows in how thoroughly they test everything and dig into the details. Even a non-tech person could understand what they found and what needed fixing.”
Cyber Security Specialist
Home Group
Frequently Asked Questions: Healthcare Pen Testing
DTAC is not legislation or a standalone certification. It is an NHS assessment framework used by commissioners and healthcare providers when assuring digital health technologies. Suppliers may be required to complete a DTAC assessment and provide supporting evidence as part of NHS procurement or adoption. Penetration testing can support the technical security component, but it does not cover every area of DTAC.
Healthcare organisations should usually carry out penetration testing at least once a year. Additional testing is also recommended after significant changes, such as major software releases, infrastructure upgrades or the introduction of new systems. Regular testing helps identify new vulnerabilities, maintain a strong security posture and provide ongoing assurance for NHS stakeholders and DTAC requirements.
Sencode can test a wide range of healthcare technologies, including web applications, APIs, mobile apps, cloud environments and network infrastructure. Our assessments are led by experienced consultants and aligned with recognised standards such as OWASP and PTES. This provides clear technical evidence to support remediation, NHS integration and DTAC assurance.
Contact us
Get a free, no obligation quote from one of our expert staff.