With cyberattacks against healthcare increasing, a small outpatient clinic network in Texas asked us to strengthen security around patient data without slowing down day-to-day operations. The group supports roughly 20,000 patients a year across five locations and needed a security program that could keep pace with a multi-site, partially remote workforce, backed by responsive support.
“Patient care is at the heart of what we do,” said the clinic’s IT Director. “We had to protect patient data and our team from growing threats.”
The clinic used an EHR for patient records and Microsoft 365 for email, scheduling, and collaboration. They had baseline security in place, but it was not designed to handle modern attack patterns such as:
“With staff working from clinics and home, we were exposed,” the IT Director said.
We implemented a layered cybersecurity framework and paired it with helpdesk services so the clinic had one place to call for both security and day-to-day support.
For Microsoft 365 email, we deployed advanced filtering that detonates suspicious attachments in an isolated virtual environment. This helped catch ransomware and emerging threats that can bypass basic signature-based scanning.
We added link protection that rewrites and scans URLs at the moment a user clicks. If a link leads to a known or newly detected malicious destination, it is blocked before the page loads. This reduced spam and phishing messages reaching inboxes and lowered the chance of click-based compromise.
We deployed endpoint antivirus across workstations and layered in extended detection and response (XDR) for deeper visibility and faster containment. Antivirus addressed known malware risks such as unsafe downloads and removable media. XDR correlated endpoint behavior signals to identify suspicious patterns and respond quickly, including threats that try to blend in with legitimate activity.
We ran ongoing phishing simulations and targeted training so staff could recognize common tactics, report suspicious messages, and avoid risky clicks. Over time, users became a reliable first line of defense.
“Staff are noticeably vigilant now,” the IT Director said. “They are on the lookout for threats.”
We implemented DNS filtering to block access to known malicious domains and phishing sites before they load. The clinic also used it to enforce browsing policies by restricting inappropriate content, with flexibility to allow legitimate business needs. Threat intelligence updates kept the controls current as new risks emerged.
We tightened Microsoft 365 access using multi-factor authentication and device-based controls to ensure only trusted users on approved devices could connect, whether onsite or remote.
Alongside the security program, we provided helpdesk services so the clinic had one place to go for account issues, device troubleshooting, security concerns, and configuration changes. This reduced downtime for end users and freed the internal IT team to stay proactive.
“One call solves it all,” the IT Director said. “It’s fast and easy.”
Within six months, a third-party audit confirmed HIPAA compliance and no evidence of breach activity. Phishing attempts reaching users dropped significantly, and there were no reported incidents tied to staff interaction with phishing lures. The clinic also experienced no endpoint security incidents during the initial period and no reportable incidents the following year. Operationally, users dealt with fewer disruptions, and the internal IT team relied on the helpdesk to resolve routine issues quickly.
