In light of the recent military escalation between the United States and Iran, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an elevated national cyber alert. As tensions rise, so do the risks to U.S.-based organizations, particularly those in healthcare and critical infrastructure.
At Allegrow, we are committed to supporting our clients not only through growth and operational change, but also through periods of uncertainty and risk. Below is what you need to know and how to respond.
What You Need to Know
State-Sponsored Cyber Activity Is Rising:
Iranian state-backed actors and hacktivist groups have a documented history of launching cyberattacks on U.S. systems in response to geopolitical conflict. These attacks are often sophisticated, persistent, and strategically timed.
Healthcare Remains a Prime Target:
With its highly connected digital systems and large volumes of sensitive data, the healthcare sector is particularly vulnerable. Attacks commonly include:
- Phishing and spear-phishing attempts
- Credential theft and data exfiltration
- Denial-of-service (DoS) and ransomware campaigns
The Goal Isn’t Just Disruption, It’s Damage:
Beyond operational outages, cyberattacks frequently aim to erode public trust, trigger regulatory scrutiny, and cause long-term reputational harm.
What Allegrow Recommends
While no system is fully immune, organizations that prepare now can greatly reduce their exposure. We recommend:
1. Conduct a Cybersecurity Readiness Check This Week
Now is the time to take a comprehensive look at your organization’s network and system security. Review internal systems, access controls, endpoint protections, and threat monitoring protocols. Pay special attention to the architecture and maintenance of your most critical systems, including EHR, RCM, and any legacy platforms that may still exist in your environment. These are often the most vulnerable if not properly maintained and patched.
Use this checklist as a starting point:
- Confirm firewalls and endpoint protection are active and up to date.
- Disable unused remote access ports to reduce entry points.
- Patch all operating systems, software, and medical devices.
- Review firewall rules and access controls to ensure only necessary permissions are granted.
A proactive approach today can prevent a costly breach tomorrow. Even basic hygiene measures, when done consistently, significantly reduce organizational risk.
2. Train Internal Teams to Identify and Report Threats
Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue, it’s an organization-wide responsibility. Ensure every employee understands the warning signs of phishing attempts, suspicious links, and unusual login activity. A single click on a malicious email can trigger a breach with far-reaching consequences.
Use this checklist to strengthen frontline defense:
- Re-educate staff on phishing awareness, especially regarding recent tactics used in geopolitical cyberattacks.
- Confirm Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is enabled across all systems, platforms, and applications.
- Test internal alert systems, including email, SMS, and pager chains, to ensure quick internal communication in the event of an attack.
Prepared employees are your first line of defense, make sure they’re equipped to spot and stop threats before they escalate.
3. Confirm Contingency and Response Plans
In the event of a cybersecurity incident, speed and clarity are critical. Ensure your IT and leadership teams have a well-defined incident response protocol, with clear roles and an escalation process everyone understands.
Equally important is having a reliable backup and recovery system in place. Use the following checklist to assess your current preparedness:
- Ensure backups are running regularly and stored off-network or in secure cloud environments.
- Test your recovery process to confirm how quickly you can restore operations in an emergency.
- Encrypt all sensitive files, both at rest and in transit, to reduce exposure in the event of a breach.
Together, these steps help ensure that if an attack occurs, your organization can respond quickly and recover without catastrophic losses.
4. Review Access & Strengthen Incident Communication
Third-party vendors and integrated tools often provide essential functionality, but they can also introduce vulnerabilities. Now is the time to reassess external access across your systems. Audit all third-party connections, confirm they follow your security standards, and revoke any permissions that are no longer necessary or relevant.
At the same time, revisit your incident response and communication plan. If a cybersecurity event occurs, having a clear protocol can drastically reduce damage and response time. We recommend:
- Testing your incident response plan to ensure it’s actionable under pressure.
- Assigning clear roles for IT leads, legal counsel, and public relations in case of a breach.
- Preparing communication templates for patients, partners, and stakeholders, so you’re ready to respond with transparency and control,
By tightening external access and having a proactive communication plan in place, your organization will be better equipped to handle threats with confidence and clarity.
5. Schedule a Cybersecurity Consultation
If you’re unsure where your organization stands, or simply want an expert’s perspective, now is the time to act. Allegrow is offering free cybersecurity consultations with our trusted partners to help healthcare leaders respond confidently during this period of elevated risk.
We recommend:
- Scheduling a security review with your IT team or CISO
- Joining relevant ISACs (e.g., Health-ISAC, IT-ISAC) to stay informed
- Considering a formal HIPAA or NIST cybersecurity assessment
Why It Matters
In today’s volatile environment, especially for private equity–backed healthcare organizations, cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern. It’s a business-critical issue that directly impacts operational continuity, patient trust, regulatory compliance, and ultimately, enterprise value.
A single breach can stall an acquisition, disrupt clinical operations, or erode years of brand equity. With heightened geopolitical tensions and increasing digital complexity, the risks are too significant to overlook.
At Allegrow, we help leadership teams approach cybersecurity not as a technical checkbox, but as a strategic pillar of resilience and scale. We’re here to help you navigate this moment with clarity, confidence, and support your need to protect what you’ve built and strengthen what’s next.
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