Medtronic works with NetSPI to identify and protect its network perimeter
Nancy Brainerd
+
Medtronic is the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity.
The Challenge
Medtronic’s journey with NetSPI
As Senior Director and Deputy CISO, Nancy’s primary concern is to defend Medtronic’s global attack surface within the constantly evolving threat landscape. To protect patient data and intellectual property, it is critical she knows the size of Medtronic’s attack surface, what’s vulnerable, and where any blind spots may be.
“It’s really important to have a second set of eyes to make sure that you are not leaving yourself vulnerable to attack,” Nancy shared. Knowing this, Nancy and her team have been working with NetSPI for the past four years to perform annual penetration tests on their network perimeter, along with spot-checking throughout the year to make sure potential threats are not being missed.
“They are great partners, and they are very flexible. Make sure you work closely with them and understand your own attack surface — if you don’t, let them help you. They’re really good at it. That’s where I think NetSPI has brought a lot of value to us — helping us truly define our attack surface.”
-
Attack Surface Visibility | Penetration Testing (PTaaS) -
Manufacturing, Healthcare -
50k+ -
Minnesota, United States -
medtronic.com
Why Medtronic + NetSPI Equal Success
NetSPI’s Strong & Adaptable Partnership
One thing Nancy values most about the partnership between Medtronic and NetSPI is the ongoing engagement and quality of the relationships. Nancy explained, “It’s really been wonderful to find partners that are adapting their own services to match what we need for the unique testing of a medical device, versus a typical traditional server.”
Attack surface awareness The difficulty of protecting what you don’t know
She shared, “NetSPI has been really invaluable in helping us define our perimeter, not just once, but ongoing, and making sure that we don’t lose sight of systems that might be out there, vulnerable to cyber-attack.”
Improved security posture Reduce vulnerabilities
When looking back at progress over the last four years, Nancy revealed, “The significant thing that has changed is every year we add more attack surface to be tested, but instead of the vulnerabilities going up, they’re actually going down.”
“Working with the NetSPI team, it’s been a great experience. We consider them to be almost an extension of our own team – they understand our attack surface, and it feels like they are genuinely concerned about making sure they find the holes, vulnerabilities, and gaps to protect us.”
Explore More Success Stories
How NetSPI Helped Microsoft Build Trust in AI Security with a Framework That Delivers Results
Principal Security Assurance Engineer
“NetSPI has demonstrated the ability to listen and adapt as needed to emerging business requirements. They have consistently invested in ways that ensure their effectiveness in delivering the outcomes we need.”
Quantum Health: Redefining Benefits Navigation with Proactive Engagement and Cost Savings
Information Security Officer
“NetSPI Detective Control Testing allowed me to eliminate unnecessary spend, acquire discounts for insurers, and give my board confidence to continue to invest in us”
Everywhen Partners with NetSPI to Elevate TLPT Standards and Build Unparalleled Trust
CISO, Everywhen
“NetSPI Red Team consultant’s transparency, attention to detail, and commitment to building strong relationships make them feel like an integral part of your internal team, not just an external vendor.”