Healthcare security teams are under constant pressure to defend against ransomware, data breaches, and insider threats. But there’s a quieter, less obvious threat lurking in the tools you use to fight those very battles: Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) accidentally embedded in your security telemetry.
When your organization shares logs, packet captures, or EDR outputs with a cybersecurity vendor or MSSP, you might be unintentionally sharing PHI along with it. It’s a compliance nightmare waiting to happen — and most organizations don’t even know it’s there.
When Telemetry Turns Into Liability
Every day, security teams transmit and analyze telemetry from across their environment. That data is rich with signals — alerts, IPs, hashes — but it can also contain unstructured PHI like a patient’s name in a screen capture, a medical record number in a file name, or medical details tucked into log files from connected devices.
The problem? These exposures are typically unintentional, but they can still trigger serious consequences under HIPAA and HITRUST rules. Traditional DLP or DSPM tools aren’t designed to catch this type of information in your telemetry. That’s where Blackwell comes in.
How Blackwell Surfaces Hidden Compliance Risk
Blackwell’s PHI Detection capability is designed to flag sensitive data embedded in places most security tools overlook. Here’s how it works:
- Discovery of Hidden PHI/PII in Security Data. Using a combination of pattern recognition, large language models (LLMs), and human analysis, we scan logs, packet captures, EDR data, and screen grabs to detect and surface PHI or PII exposure.
- Accidental Exposure Alerts. When PHI is found where it shouldn’t be, Blackwell alerts your team and flags the issue for review. These alerts can help identify potential HIPAA or HITRUST violations before they escalate.
- Augmenting Existing Tooling. Blackwell’s insights complement your current stack, whether that includes DLP, DSPM, or FIM tools. We don’t replace those systems; we give you visibility into a layer they typically miss.
Real-World Risk: What Happens When It’s Missed?
Accidental PHI exposure in security telemetry can lead to a cascade of downstream consequences:
- Regulatory Penalties. If discovered during a compliance audit or breach investigation, these hidden exposures can lead to fines from the Office for Civil Rights, and non-compliance findings from HITRUST.
- Breach Notification Requirements. If the exposure meets the threshold for breach reporting, your organization could be required to notify patients, HHS, and even the media, damaging your reputation and eroding patient trust.
- Reputational Harm. Even when fines are avoided, the optics of mishandling PHI within cybersecurity operations can be difficult to recover from.
This isn’t fear-mongering, it’s a real gap in the compliance surface that most teams don’t realize they’ve left open.
Closing the Gap with Compliance-Aware Security
Blackwell’s PHI Detection helps you proactively uncover risks that exist within your cybersecurity operations. It gives you an added layer of assurance that your telemetry data isn’t introducing liability into your own workflows.
The best part? There’s no need to rip and replace. We layer into your existing environment and give your team actionable insights they can use right away. Whether you’re under audit, preparing for a HITRUST assessment, or just tightening your risk posture, this is a capability you don’t want to overlook.
Bottom line: Don’t let your telemetry be a liability. Blackwell’s PHI Detection makes sure it’s not.
Blackwell is cybersecurity made for healthcare.
Our comprehensive security platform and expert managed services provide the most complete protection for healthcare organizations. Leading providers across North America trust Blackwell to reduce cyber risk, stay compliant, and build trusted experiences across the care continuum.
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