Penetration Testing for Healthcare

Healthcare organisations are among the most targeted sectors for cyberattacks, with medical records being the most valuable data type on the black market. Hospitals, clinics, health systems, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and health technology providers face threats ranging from ransomware attacks that disrupt patient care to targeted data theft of protected health information (PHI).

Penetration testing in healthcare must address the unique challenges of clinical environments including connected medical devices, electronic health record (EHR) systems, patient portals, telehealth platforms, and integration with insurance and pharmacy systems. Testing must be carefully coordinated to avoid disrupting clinical operations and patient care.

Healthcare pen testing supports compliance with HIPAA, which requires risk analysis and security evaluation of systems handling ePHI. The growing adoption of IoT medical devices, cloud-based EHR systems, and telehealth platforms has expanded the attack surface significantly, making regular security testing essential for patient safety and regulatory compliance.

25 providers
Top UK ProviderElite TestersResearch-Driven
SECFORCE logo

SECFORCE

Leading UK offensive security consultancy based in Canary Wharf, delivering CREST-accredited penetration testing and adversary simulation to organisations with the most demanding security requirements.

95
Score
LOCLondon, United Kingdom
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+9
CRESTISO 27001Cyber Essentials
Best UK ProviderBest for EnterpriseResearch Leaders
NCC Group logo

NCC Group

Global cybersecurity consultancy with CREST, CHECK, and CBEST accreditation, renowned for deep technical research and comprehensive penetration testing services.

75
Score
LOCManchester, United Kingdom
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+13
CRESTCHECKCBEST+6
Best for Mid-MarketBest for Financial Services
NetSPI logo

NetSPI

Leading penetration testing firm with the Resolve platform for continuous attack surface management, trusted by nine of the top ten US banks.

60
Score
LOCMinneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkCloud+8
SOC 2ISO 27001CREST
Trustwave logo

Trustwave

Global managed security provider with the elite SpiderLabs penetration testing team and deep PCI DSS compliance expertise.

57
Score
LOCChicago, Illinois, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+7
PCI QSAISO 27001SOC 2+1
Bridewell logo

Bridewell

Fast-growing CREST and CHECK-accredited UK cybersecurity consultancy with deep expertise in critical national infrastructure sectors.

56
Score
LOCBristol, United Kingdom
Web ApplicationNetworkCloud+7
CRESTCHECKISO 27001+1
Pentest People logo

Pentest People

CREST and CHECK-accredited UK penetration testing firm with an innovative SecurePortal platform and transparent pricing for mid-market organizations.

55
Score
LOCLeeds, United Kingdom
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+7
CRESTCHECKCyber Essentials Plus+1
Mandiant logo

Mandiant

World-renowned cybersecurity firm now part of Google Cloud, delivering threat intelligence-led penetration testing and red teaming informed by front-line incident response experience.

53
Score
LOCReston, Virginia, United States
Red TeamingPurple TeamingNetwork+6
SOC 2ISO 27001FedRAMP 3PAO
Best OverallElite TestersResearch Pioneers
Bishop Fox logo

Bishop Fox

Premier US-based offensive security firm known for elite penetration testers, cutting-edge research, and the Cosmos continuous attack surface management platform.

50
Score
LOCTempe, Arizona, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+8
SOC 2OSCP Employer
Rapid7 logo

Rapid7

Creators of Metasploit offering enterprise penetration testing integrated with their comprehensive vulnerability management and security operations platform.

50
Score
LOCBoston, Massachusetts, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+7
SOC 2ISO 27001
Coalfire logo

Coalfire

Compliance-focused cybersecurity advisory firm and FedRAMP 3PAO specializing in penetration testing that meets stringent regulatory requirements.

50
Score
LOCWestminster, Colorado, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkCloud+5
SOC 2FedRAMP 3PAOPCI QSA+1
Claranet logo

Claranet

CREST and CHECK-accredited European managed services provider delivering penetration testing with deep infrastructure and cloud hosting expertise.

48
Score
LOCLondon, United Kingdom
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+5
CRESTCHECKISO 27001+1
HackerOne logo

HackerOne

World's largest ethical hacker platform with over one million researchers, offering bug bounties and structured penetration testing to the US DoD and Fortune 500.

47
Score
LOCSan Francisco, California, United States
Web ApplicationAPIMobile App+3
SOC 2ISO 27001FedRAMP 3PAO
Integrity360 logo

Integrity360

CREST-accredited pan-European cybersecurity services provider delivering penetration testing and managed security from Dublin with a strong UK and Ireland presence.

44
Score
LOCDublin, Ireland
Web ApplicationNetworkMobile App+6
CRESTISO 27001SOC 2
Black Hills Information Security logo

Black Hills Information Security

Community-driven penetration testing firm known for free security education, open-source tools, Wild West Hackin' Fest, and practical offensive security services.

44
Score
LOCSpearfish, South Dakota, United States
NetworkWeb ApplicationSocial Engineering+5
SOC 2
CrowdStrike logo

CrowdStrike

Global cybersecurity leader leveraging world-class threat intelligence from the Falcon platform to deliver intelligence-led penetration testing and red teaming.

43
Score
LOCAustin, Texas, United States
Red TeamingNetworkWeb Application+5
SOC 2ISO 27001
IOActive logo

IOActive

Elite boutique security consultancy specializing in IoT, SCADA/ICS, embedded systems, and hardware security research with world-renowned researchers.

42
Score
LOCSeattle, Washington, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkIoT+7
OSCP Employer
Secureworks logo

Secureworks

Dell Technologies-backed cybersecurity firm with elite Counter Threat Unit intelligence informing enterprise penetration testing and adversary simulation.

41
Score
LOCAtlanta, Georgia, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkCloud+7
SOC 2ISO 27001
Rhino Security Labs logo

Rhino Security Labs

Cloud security penetration testing specialists known for the Pacu AWS exploitation framework and deep expertise across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.

41
Score
LOCSeattle, Washington, United States
CloudWeb ApplicationNetwork+4
SOC 2
Praetorian logo

Praetorian

Offensive security firm founded by former DoD professionals, offering elite penetration testing and the Chariot continuous attack surface management platform.

40
Score
LOCAustin, Texas, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkCloud+7
SOC 2
Bugcrowd logo

Bugcrowd

Leading crowdsourced security platform offering managed bug bounty programs and crowd-powered penetration testing with hundreds of thousands of ethical hackers.

40
Score
LOCSan Francisco, California, United States
Web ApplicationAPIMobile App+3
SOC 2ISO 27001
Synack logo

Synack

FedRAMP-authorized crowdsourced penetration testing platform combining vetted elite hackers with AI-powered Hydra technology for continuous security testing.

39
Score
LOCRedwood City, California, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkAPI+4
FedRAMP 3PAOSOC 2
Aon Cyber Solutions logo

Aon Cyber Solutions

Cybersecurity consulting division of global insurance leader Aon, uniquely combining penetration testing with cyber risk quantification and insurance expertise.

36
Score
LOCLondon, United Kingdom
Web ApplicationNetworkCloud+5
ISO 27001SOC 2
Securin logo

Securin

Vulnerability intelligence-driven penetration testing firm providing contextual security assessments informed by threat actor exploitation data and ransomware tracking.

34
Score
LOCAlbuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkAPI+3
SOC 2
BreachLock logo

BreachLock

Cloud-based Penetration Testing as a Service platform combining AI-driven automation with expert manual testing at accessible price points.

33
Score
LOCNew York, New York, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkAPI+4
SOC 2ISO 27001
Cobalt logo

Cobalt

Pioneer of Pentest as a Service, delivering fast, platform-based penetration testing with a vetted global community of security researchers.

29
Score
LOCSan Francisco, California, United States
Web ApplicationNetworkAPI+2
SOC 2

Healthcare Pen Testing FAQs

How is healthcare pen testing different from other industries?+

Healthcare pen testing must account for patient safety, clinical workflows, connected medical devices, and ePHI protection requirements. Testing must be carefully coordinated to avoid disrupting patient care.

Can medical devices be pen tested?+

Yes, medical device pen testing is a growing speciality. Testing covers the device itself, its network communications, companion apps, cloud backends, and update mechanisms. Testing must follow FDA guidance and device safety protocols.

What healthcare-specific risks do pen testers look for?+

Key risks include unauthorised access to patient records, medical device compromises, prescription system manipulation, lateral movement from clinical networks to administrative systems, and ransomware exposure.