Fractional CISO and Security Leadership for Healthcare Organizations
Healthcare is under siege. Ransomware headlines. OCR enforcement. Cyberinsurer demands. Payer audits. PE-backed roll-ups moving faster than IT can integrate. And through it all, patient care can’t stop.
Most healthcare organizations lack a dedicated CISO or CIO. There’s often an overworked IT manager, an MSP relationship, and a growing stack of compliance requirements that no one has time to address systematically.
Common Challenges We See
HIPAA compliance treated as a checkbox
Documentation sparse, stale, or missing; SRA overdue or incomplete, or assumed completed by MSP.
Cyberinsurance pressure
Renewal questionnaires exposing gaps; premiums rising
Ransomware anxiety
Peer organizations hit; board asking questions; leadership unsure of current exposure
No formal security program
Policies generic or outdated; no risk register; incident response ad hoc
PE integration complexity
Multiple acquired practices with fragmented IT, inconsistent security, and no unified governance
Payer and partner demands
Formal compliance documentation required for contracts
You need a HIPAA Security Risk Analysis for regulatory, insurance, or partnership reasons
Your IT manager or MSP can’t own security strategy—you need executive-level leadership
You’re integrating acquired practices and need to standardize IT and security across entities
You’re preparing for a transaction and need to demonstrate security maturity to buyers
You want board-grade reporting and incident readiness without hiring a full-time CISO
How We Help Healthcare Organizations
Guardantix meets you where you are: regulatory compliance, ongoing governance, incident recovery, or PE integration. Here’s how we typically engage.
Start with a HIPAA Security Risk Analysis
Most healthcare engagements begin with an SRA. This regulatory requirement is also the foundation for building a defensible security program. We conduct the analysis, produce the required documentation, and deliver a prioritized remediation roadmap.
Transition to Ongoing Security Governance
After the SRA, we convert to a vCISO or Hybrid vCISO/vCIO retainer for ongoing governance:
- Risk register maintenance and remediation tracking
- Policy development and annual review cycles
- Vendor risk management for EHR, PACS, telehealth, and cloud vendors
- Incident response planning and tabletop exercises
- Board and leadership reporting
- Insurance renewal support
Post-Incident Recovery
If your organization has experienced a ransomware event or breach, we provide executive-level leadership through the recovery—root cause analysis, remediation planning, board communication, and program rebuild.
For PE-Backed Platforms
PE-backed physician platforms need more than governance—they need integration leadership:
- M&A cyber due diligence on acquisition targets
- Day 1 / Day 100 integration planning
- Standardized security baselines across the portfolio
- Portfolio-wide reporting for operating partners and the board
- Exit preparation with documented security programs
Example Engagement Patterns
Multi-Site Medical Practice
A regional multi-site practice received notice that cyberinsurance renewal required a documented HIPAA SRA. Guardantix completed the analysis, identified critical gaps in access controls and backup procedures, and delivered a prioritized remediation roadmap. The practice then converted to a vCISO Professional retainer for ongoing compliance management and vendor oversight.
PE-Backed Behavioral
Health Platform
A PE-backed behavioral health platform was integrating three recent acquisitions with inconsistent IT environments and undocumented security practices. Guardantix conducted rapid security assessments of each entity, developed standardized policies for the combined organization, and implemented a unified governance framework. The platform now has portfolio-wide visibility and board-ready reporting.
Imaging Center Post-Incident
An imaging center network experienced a ransomware event that disrupted operations for several days. After containment, Guardantix led the recovery—documenting root cause, developing remediation plans, preparing board communications, and standing up a formal security program to prevent recurrence.
Getting started for healthcare providers
Most healthcare engagements start with a HIPAA Security Risk Analysis, then evolve into ongoing security governance. Whether you need a one-time assessment, a fractional CISO, or post-incident leadership, we tailor the engagement to where you are today. Let us know how we can help.
