Network Penetration Testing for Biotech Companies in Santa Fe

 

Biotech companies in Santa Fe and across New Mexico handle highly sensitive information every day – from research data and clinical trial records to proprietary formulations and patient health information. This makes local biotech labs, research institutes, and pharmaceutical manufacturers attractive targets for cybercriminals and nation‑state actors.

Common attack methods include malware, phishing, password attacks, SQL injection, and ransomware. All of them have a single goal: gaining access to your data, disrupting your operations, or both. In 2021, the average cost of a reported data breach reached $4.24M (source)—and that figure does not capture unreported incidents, intellectual property theft, or long‑term damage to reputation and investor trust.

For biotech organizations, a serious cyber incident can halt experiments, corrupt lab results, compromise FDA submissions, and interrupt manufacturing or cold-chain logistics. To avoid this, companies need to regularly review, test, and improve their cybersecurity controls, not just rely on firewalls and antivirus software configured years ago.

Network penetration testing (net‑pen testing) is a controlled, ethical hacking exercise in which our specialists simulate real‑world cyberattacks against your IT and OT networks—including lab systems, research environments, and cloud platforms. The objective is to identify and exploit vulnerabilities before attackers do, then provide practical remediation guidance your team can actually implement.

The outcome gives leadership and technical staff a clear view of:

• Which systems and data are most at risk (e.g., lab instruments, EMR/PHI systems, IP repositories, LIMS)
• How far an attacker could get from a single compromised account or phishing email
• Whether existing IT security controls work as intended
• Regulatory and compliance gaps relevant to biotech, such as HIPAA, FDA expectations, and data integrity requirements

 

Santa Fe Biotech Penetration Testing Experience

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing and IT security assessment services to biotech and life sciences organizations in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Albuquerque, and throughout New Mexico. Our team combines cybersecurity expertise with a practical understanding of laboratory environments, research networks, and production systems.

We routinely support:

• Biotech startups and venture‑backed research firms
• Clinical research organizations and trial sites
• Pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers
• Academic and private research labs

Our penetration testers use the same tools and techniques as real attackers, but in a controlled, documented, and legally authorized way. The result is a network penetration test that not only exposes weaknesses, but also provides clear, prioritized recommendations on how to fix them with minimal disruption to ongoing research and lab operations.

 

Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech follows a structured and repeatable testing methodology aligned with industry standards. For biotech organizations, this approach is tailored to the realities of GMP, GLP, and regulated environments, where uptime and data integrity are critical.

Our testing process typically includes:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly gathering information about your organization, exposed services, domains, and users without active disruption.
• Active Reconnaissance – Safely scanning your internal and external networks to identify live systems, open ports, and misconfigurations.
• Social Engineering – Testing user awareness through scenarios such as phishing emails or pretext calls, reflecting common entry points into biotech environments.
• Exploitation – Attempting to leverage identified weaknesses (e.g., unpatched systems, weak credentials, insecure remote access) to gain unauthorized access.
• Post‑Exploitation – Assessing what an attacker could do once inside: accessing research data, moving between lab and corporate networks, or targeting cloud resources.
• Privilege Escalation – Attempting to gain higher‑level access (e.g., domain admin, service accounts, or privileged lab system accounts).
• Lateral Movement – Simulating how an intruder could move from one compromised system to others, such as from an office workstation to lab equipment or file servers.
• Maintaining Access – Demonstrating how a threat actor might plant backdoors or persistence mechanisms if not promptly detected.
• Covering Tracks – Reviewing where logs, alerts, and monitoring may fail to detect or record malicious activity.
• Reporting – Delivering a clear, non‑technical executive summary, detailed technical findings, and prioritized remediation steps appropriate for your environment and risk profile.

This methodology can be adapted for Red Team, Blue Team, or Purple Team engagements, as well as assumed‑compromise scenarios focused on insider threat risks or stolen credentials—both common in IP‑rich biotech organizations.

 

National Reach

 

Although we maintain a strong presence in New Mexico, OCD Tech provides network penetration testing and cybersecurity consulting services to organizations across the United States, including:

• Boston (MA)
• New York City (NY)
• Washington DC
• Philadelphia (PA)
• Dallas (TX)
• Los Angeles (CA)
• Chicago (IL)
• Baltimore (MD)

This broader experience with biotech hubs across the country allows us to bring best practices from leading life sciences markets back to organizations in Santa Fe and the greater New Mexico region.

 

Contact Our Santa Fe Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing, security assessments, and cybersecurity consulting to biotech and life sciences companies in Santa Fe and throughout New Mexico. Whether you are preparing for an audit, investor due diligence, a new regulatory submission, or simply want an honest view of your security posture, we can help.

If you are interested in learning how we can assist your organization with a network penetration test tailored to biotech environments, please complete the form below and a team member will follow up with you shortly.