Know Your Risk Bulletin
Q3 2025 Update | Clearwater OCR-Quality® Risk Analysis Findings
Cyber attackers aren’t guessing. They’re targeting the systems that store, process, and transmit your most sensitive data – and they’re getting in through the same weak spots again and again. Dormant user accounts. Weak authentication. Overexposed SaaS systems. These are the gaps adversaries continue to exploit.
Clearwater’s Know Your Risk Bulletin summarizes findings from hundreds of OCR-Quality® HIPAA risk assessments conducted across hospitals, health systems, physician groups, and digital health companies. The analysis, powered by our asset-based risk management platform IRM|Analysis®, reveals where healthcare organizations are most vulnerable — and what CISOs and compliance leaders can do now.
What You’ll Learn in the Q3 2025 Report
- 200%+ increase in critical vulnerabilities in healthcare IT since 2022
- Top risk areas: identity and access management, endpoints, SaaS platforms
- 67–80% of risk traced to systems storing or transmitting electronic protected health information (ePHI)
Most exploited weaknesses across healthcare::
- Dormant accounts
- Weak MFA and access controls
- Flat network configurations
- Excessive user permissions
- Untrained staff and phishing exposure
Real-world breach examples, including:
- Ransomware via inactive account
- Data leak caused by poor vendor access controls
- BEC incident stemming from phishing
What’s Inside the Full Report
- Sector-specific insights into the unique risk profiles of:
- Hospitals and health systems
- Physician practices and ambulatory groups
- Digital health and SaaS providers
- Practical recommendations for healthcare leaders to:
- Prioritize remediation
- Improve cyber hygiene
- Address gaps before they become breaches
Why Traditional Risk Assessments Fall Short
Too many organizations still rely on outdated, checklist-driven assessments that fail to capture the complexity and interdependencies of today’s healthcare IT environments.
Clearwater’s asset-based approach delivers a component-level view of risk that’s aligned with how adversaries think and how regulators now expect organizations to respond.
Whether you’re preparing for an OCR audit, building your risk register, or briefing your board, this report gives you the insight needed to act with urgency—and precision.
Download the Full Know Your Risk Bulletin – Q3 2025
The full report will be updated quarterly with new data, trend analysis, and guidance tailored for the healthcare sector.
Use it to:
- Benchmark your cyber risk posture
- Justify cybersecurity investments
- Inform board discussions and risk response strategies