The Reality Healthcare Practices Face
- 92% of healthcare organizations experienced at least one cyberattack in 2024
- The average healthcare data breach costs $10.93 million per incident, the highest of any industry
- Over 180 confirmed ransomware attacks targeted healthcare providers in 2024, with average ransoms around $900,000
- Ransomware attacks that hit medical providers disrupt patient care roughly 80% of the time, with disruptions typically lasting two weeks
- The proposed HIPAA Security Rule overhaul (expected final rule mid-2026) eliminates the distinction between "required" and "addressable" specifications, making MFA, encryption, network segmentation, annual penetration testing, and 72-hour system restoration mandatory
These are not abstract IT concerns. A single incident can
shut down a practice for weeks, trigger six- and seven-figure costs, and put
patient safety at risk.
Why Framework IT for Healthcare
Relevant credentials and structure:
- 41
full-time, U.S.-based employees with 30 engineers across cloud,
infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and help desk specializations
- Annual
third-party HIPAA audits and willingness to sign Business Associate
Agreements
- SOC
2 Type 2 certified SOC partner (BlackPoint Cyber) providing 24/7/365
monitoring
- Certifications
spanning CompTIA Security+, CISSP, CCIE, Microsoft Azure, AWS, Cisco
CCNP/CCNA, ITIL, and more
- Average
team tenure of 5 years with 95%+ employee retention, meaning
the same people support your practice over time
- 11
Partnership Guarantees including 30-day money-back, no surprise
billing, never leave a voicemail, and commitment to strategic planning
- Over 300
total clients with 93 receiving comprehensive managed services,
ranging from 3 to 230 users
- Direct
experience supporting organizations in HIPAA, SOC 2, FINRA, and other
regulated environments
Your Dedicated Account Team Includes:
- Virtual
CIO (vCIO): strategic technology partner handling compliance guidance,
roadmaps, budgets, and vendor management
- Service
Manager: service quality advocate monitoring ticket trends, handling
escalations, and ensuring accountability
- Client
Lead Engineer (CLE): senior engineer serving as the internal technical
authority for your account
- Proactive
Infrastructure Engineer (PIE): scheduled maintenance specialist
performing monthly, quarterly, and annual health checks
- Dedicated
Help Desk Team/Pod: consistent group of engineers familiar with your
environment
What a Partnership Looks Like
Within the first 60 days:
- Comprehensive
technology assessment of your infrastructure, endpoints, applications,
cybersecurity posture, and documentation
- Deployment
of the full cybersecurity stack (EDR, MDR, email security, MFA, backup,
training)
- Development
of HIPAA-aligned security policies with employee
30%
15+
100%
Our Services
24/7 Monitoring & Threat Detection
We provide continuous monitoring of your network, endpoints, and cloud environments to detect and respond to threats in real-time. With our 24/7 coverage, you'll have peace of mind knowing your business is protected at all times.
Proactive Threat Hunting
Our security experts actively search for hidden threats within your systems. By identifying vulnerabilities and anomalies, we help prevent breaches before they occur, ensuring a secure IT environment.
Incident Response & Containment
When a threat is detected, our security operations center team acts immediately to contain and neutralize it. Our rapid response minimizes the impact on your business, protecting your critical assets and maintaining business continuity.
Threat Intelligence & Reporting
We provide detailed reports on detected threats, including their severity and impact, as well as recommended remediation actions. These insights help you better understand the security landscape and improve future defenses.
Compliance Support
Our MDR services ensure your business stays compliant with industry regulations such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and more. We help you navigate the complex regulatory environment while maintaining robust security.
What Our Clients Are Saying
★★★★★
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can Framework IT help our healthcare organization meet HIPAA compliance requirements?
Yes. Framework IT conducts annual third-party HIPAA
compliance audits covering access controls, encryption, incident response,
Business Associate Agreement (BAA) compliance, and employee training. Your
virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) provides compliance guidance as part
of your standard managed services engagement, including technology assessments,
security policy development, technical controls implementation, audit trail
maintenance, and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with least privilege enforcement.
Framework IT also completes vendor security questionnaires for your compliance
needs. Key partners, including ConnectWise and BlackPoint Cyber, hold SOC 2
Type 2 certifications, and the Axcient backup platform is HIPAA compliant.
What backup and disaster recovery solutions do you provide to protect patient data and ensure business continuity?
Framework IT uses Axcient's comprehensive backup platform to
protect servers, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and endpoint devices. Key
capabilities include:
- Recovery
Point Objective (RPO): As low as 15 minutes
- Recovery
Time Objective (RTO): Under 1 hour in ideal conditions
- AirGap
Anti-Ransomware Protection: Immutable backups that cannot be deleted
or encrypted by ransomware
- AutoVerify:
Automated daily or weekly backup testing with screenshot verification to
confirm recoverability
- Virtual
Office: Instant server virtualization in the cloud for temporary
production during hardware failures
- Compliance:
SOC 2 certified, HIPAA compliant, GDPR compliant
- Encryption:
256-bit AES at rest, 128-bit SSL in transit
- Flat-Fee
Pooled Storage: Predictable monthly costs with no per-GB charges
Backup health is monitored daily by your Proactive
Infrastructure Engineer (PIE), and your vCIO plans for long-term retention and
compliance needs.
Can you serve as our complete IT department without us needing to hire internal IT staff?
Yes. Approximately 70% of Framework IT's clients have no in-house IT staff. The managed services plan is designed to function as your complete IT department, covering daily help desk support, 24/7 proactive monitoring, strategic planning through a dedicated vCIO, comprehensive cybersecurity, infrastructure management, vendor coordination, user onboarding and offboarding, backup monitoring, and documentation. For the infrastructure, security, and support domains, approximately 95% of day-to-day IT execution is handled by Framework IT, with your involvement limited to business approvals, strategic participation, and Line of Business application administration.
What cybersecurity protections are included in your managed services to safeguard our patient and organizational data?
Framework IT includes a comprehensive cybersecurity stack at no additional charge with all managed services agreements:
- Endpoint
Detection & Response (EDR): SentinelOne with AI-powered threat
detection and automated response
- 24/7
Managed Detection & Response (MDR): BlackPoint Cyber SOC (SOC 2
Type 2 certified) providing around-the-clock monitoring and immediate
threat containment
- Advanced
Email Security: Mimecast protection against phishing, spoofing,
malware, and Business Email Compromise (BEC)
- Multi-Factor
Authentication (MFA): Required across all supported systems
- Security
Awareness Training: KnowBe4 with simulated phishing campaigns
- Dark
Web Monitoring: Scanning for compromised credentials
- SIEM
Logging: Aggregated security event analysis for compliance auditing
and forensic investigation
- Managed
Application Control: Restricts unauthorized applications from running
- Vulnerability
Scanning: Continuous scanning for known vulnerabilities and
misconfigurations
- Enterprise-Grade
Backup: Axcient with AirGap immutable protection
How do you help us meet cyber liability insurance requirements and reduce premiums?
Framework IT's standard cybersecurity package meets over 97%
of cyber liability insurance requirements. Clients typically experience 20-40%
lower premiums compared to organizations with inadequate controls. Beyond cost
savings, Framework IT ensures you can collect on claims through:
- Comprehensive
documentation proving security controls were active and enforced
- Employee
policy attestation with documented proof of awareness
- Proactive
remediation of the three most common claim denial scenarios: outdated
operating systems, missing security policies without attestation, and
inadequate backups
- vCIO
support for completing pre-renewal technical security questionnaires
approximately 3-6 months before renewal
Framework IT clients typically achieve claim approval in 4-8
weeks versus 6-12 months for organizations without proper documentation.
Do you use offshore resources or contractors who would have access to our systems and patient data?
All client-facing support and project work is delivered by full-time, W2 Framework IT employees based in the United States, with two exceptions:
- Security
Operations Center: Framework IT partners with BlackPoint Cyber (SOC 2
Type 2 certified) for 24/7/365 cybersecurity monitoring and threat
response. You will not interact with this partner directly.
- Offshore
Tier 1 Engineers: Two native English-speaking Tier 1 help desk
engineers based in South Africa operate under strict security controls,
including Azure Virtual Desktops hosted in the U.S. and fully controlled
by Framework IT, screen recording blocked, MFA-required access, and
locked-down data flow prevention between the virtual desktop and any local
device. These resources are also insured.
What security awareness training do you provide for our staff to help prevent breaches?
Framework IT includes KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training at no additional cost, managed by your vCIO. This includes:
- Animated
micro-learning episodes (3-4 minutes each) covering phishing
recognition, password security, ransomware awareness, BEC prevention,
HIPAA-specific modules, and more
- Simulated
phishing campaigns using templates based on actual attacks, with
real-time feedback for users who click
- Customized
curriculum tailored to your industry and compliance needs
- Self-service
reporting access for leadership to monitor training progress and
phishing simulation results
- New
content released every 30 days focused on current threats
Additionally, ClipTraining provides on-demand video training
for Microsoft 365 applications and productivity tools.
How often do you test our disaster recovery and backups to make sure they actually work?
Testing frequency is customized based on your business needs
and compliance requirements:
- Included
at no charge: Daily backup monitoring, Axcient AutoVerify automated
testing (screenshot verification confirming bootability), proactive
alerting for failures, PIE oversight, and ad-hoc file/folder restores
- Requires
separate scoping: Full-scale disaster recovery drill testing, Virtual
Office failover testing, and documented compliance testing for audits
For HIPAA-regulated healthcare organizations, your vCIO
would typically recommend annual full-scale DR drills (compliance-mandated)
plus quarterly file-level restore tests, with daily AutoVerify screenshot
verification running continuously.
What happens if a cybersecurity threat is detected in our environment?
Framework IT follows a structured response process:
- Continuous
24/7/365 monitoring by BlackPoint Cyber SOC across endpoints, network
traffic, cloud platforms, and email
- Immediate
containment by the SOC, which isolates affected devices and terminates
malicious processes
- Framework
IT response: Analyze threat scope, remove malicious access, remediate
attack vectors, patch vulnerabilities, and communicate with your team
- Post-incident
review with recommendations discussed during your Strategic Business
Review
Important for healthcare: You should notify your
cyber insurance carrier first before requesting full breach remediation, as
many policies require use of approved vendor networks. Framework IT coordinates
with your insurance process to protect your coverage.
What kind of strategic IT planning and reporting can we expect?
Each client receives a dedicated account team including a
vCIO, Service Manager, Client Lead Engineer (CLE), Proactive Infrastructure
Engineer (PIE), and a dedicated Help Desk Team/Pod. Strategic services include:
- Strategic
Business Reviews (minimum twice per year, typically quarterly)
covering technology performance, lifecycle reports, cybersecurity threat
reports, technology roadmap updates, and expense forecasting
- Monthly
Executive Management Reports with 15-20 KPIs including satisfaction
scores, response times, ticket volume, and service delivery metrics
- Comprehensive
technology assessments evaluating infrastructure, cybersecurity
posture, compliance gaps, and AI opportunities
- Technology
budgeting support with annual forecasts and phased replacement
schedules
- Compliance
consulting across HIPAA, SOC 2, and other frameworks at no additional
cost
Framework IT does not pay sales commissions to vCIOs, so
advice is unbiased and focused on your interests.
How do you handle onboarding and offboarding to protect our systems and patient data?
Framework IT follows a structured, auditable process for
both:
- Onboarding:
Standardized checklists customized to your organization, Rewst automation
for consistent SOP execution, AI-powered audits that flag missed steps,
and post-go-live QA checks. Recommended lead time is 10 business days (5
days can be accommodated).
- Offboarding:
Account disablement and access revocation across all managed systems, data
backup and transfer as directed, license reclamation, secure device
wiping, and complete audit trail documentation. For platforms Framework IT
manages (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Adobe), comprehensive
offboarding is handled. For Line of Business applications, offboarding
focuses on the authentication and identity layer (SSO, Entra ID, MFA).
All actions are logged to individual engineer accounts for
accountability and forensic investigation capability.
Do you provide penetration testing for our healthcare organization?
Framework IT provides penetration testing directly when the
objective is to assess security posture and identify improvement opportunities
outside of formal audit requirements. For compliance or audit-related
penetration testing (such as HIPAA audit requirements), Framework IT recommends
engaging an independent third-party assessor. This follows sound governance
principles: the party responsible for implementing security controls should not
audit their own work. An independent assessment provides greater credibility to
auditors, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies.
Can you help us prepare for SOC 2 compliance?
Your vCIO provides compliance guidance as part of standard
managed services, and many SOC 2-relevant activities are included at no
additional cost: technology assessments, security policy development, technical
controls (EDR, MDR, MFA, SIEM, email security), comprehensive audit trails, and
RBAC with least privilege enforcement. However, a formal structured SOC 2
readiness program (gap analysis against Trust Service Criteria, remediation
roadmap, and readiness tracking) is not a standard inclusion and would be
scoped as a separate project or virtual Chief Information Security Officer
(vCISO) engagement. For formal SOC 2 audits, an independent third-party
assessor is recommended.
How do you encrypt our workstations to protect sensitive health information?
Framework IT uses BitLocker Drive Encryption, which is built into Windows Pro and Enterprise editions. BitLocker encrypts the entire hard drive so that lost, stolen, or improperly disposed-of devices cannot be accessed without proper credentials. Encryption keys are securely stored in Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) for authorized administrator recovery. Full-disk encryption is required by most cyber liability insurance policies and is critical for HIPAA compliance. Your vCIO can assess your current encryption status and recommend a rollout plan if encryption is not yet enabled across your environment.
What support is available outside of normal business hours if we experience a critical system failure?
Framework IT provides tiered coverage:
- Standard
Hours (Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 5 PM CT): Full help desk staffing with 30+
engineers, calls answered live by Service Coordinators, average response
time under 5 minutes
- Extended
Hours (Mon-Fri 5-9 PM CT; Weekends 8 AM - 5 PM CT): Help desk support
continues for all priority levels
- 24/7/365
Emergency Support: Critical issues (company-wide outages, ransomware
attacks, server failures) are covered around the clock at no additional
charge. Call 312-564-4888 anytime for emergency response with
acknowledgment as soon as possible and callback within 2 hours
SLA guarantees during business hours: Critical issues
receive a 30-minute response; after hours, critical issues receive a 2-hour
response. Framework IT's actual average response time across all priorities is
under 5 minutes. Approximately 78% of all tickets are resolved on the same
business day and on the first touch.