Who Clearwater is best for
Clearwater Security & Compliance, formerly Clearwater Compliance, is a healthcare cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance company that sells IRM|Pro, a software platform for HIPAA risk analysis and compliance tracking, alongside consulting, managed security (MSSP) and managed cloud services. Founded in 2009, it acquired CynergisTek and TECH LOCK in 2022, runs Redspin as its defense-industry division, and received a strategic growth investment from Sunstone Partners in 2025. Clearwater says it works with more than 500 customers.
Best for
- Hospitals, health systems and critical access hospitals
- Physician practice management groups and multi-site ambulatory organizations
- Digital health and medical device companies needing HIPAA, HITRUST or SOC 2 work
- Organizations that want consultants to perform or validate their HIPAA security risk analysis
Not ideal for
- Solo and small practices wanting an inexpensive, self-guided HIPAA compliance program
- Practices that need day-to-day IT support or help desk services
- Buyers who need published, self-serve pricing
Clearwater pros and cons
Pros
- Healthcare focus: risk analysis, privacy and security work built around HIPAA and HHS guidance
- Named 2026 Best in KLAS for Security and Privacy Consulting Services
- IRM|Pro covers risk analysis, privacy, security and 405(d) HICP assessments in one platform
- Software, consulting and managed services from one vendor, including 24/7 security monitoring and incident response
- Audit and certification support for HITRUST, SOC 2, PCI DSS and CMMC
Cons
- No published pricing, and engagements are usually scoped by consultants
- Built mainly for larger organizations; small practices may pay for more than they use
- Limited independent reviews of the IRM|Pro software itself, as opposed to the consulting services
- Getting full value often requires consulting services in addition to the software
Clearwater pricing
As of 2026, Clearwater does not publish pricing for IRM|Pro or its services. Software subscriptions and consulting engagements are quoted based on organization size, number of locations and information systems in scope, which IRM|Pro modules you need, and whether you add managed security, vCISO or audit services. Ask for separate software and services quotes.
Key features
- IRM|Pro Suite: Clearwater's compliance platform
- IRM|Analysis: HIPAA security risk analysis and risk response tracking
- IRM|Privacy and IRM|Security: privacy and security rule assessments
- IRM|405(d) HICP: assessment against the Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices
- IRM|Performance: compliance program performance tracking
- Managed security services: 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, vulnerability and firewall management, incident response
- Managed cloud services: Azure and Microsoft 365 management and cloud security
- Consulting: OCR-Quality risk analysis, vCISO, technical security testing, privacy and compliance program development
HIPAA, security and integrations
Clearwater is a compliance and security vendor, not a clinical system. Its services cover HIPAA risk analysis and risk response (which it brands OCR-Quality), HIPAA privacy and breach notification, NIST CSF and NIST 800-171 assessments, and audit or certification work for HITRUST, SOC 2, PCI DSS, CMMC and EPCS. Its managed security services run from a 24x7x365 security operations center that came with the TECH LOCK acquisition, and its managed cloud services focus on Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365.
Clearwater does not publish its own SOC 2 or HITRUST status, IRM|Pro hosting details, BAA terms or a list of IRM|Pro integrations, so ask about each during contracting.
Clearwater alternatives
- Compliancy Group — The Guard compliance software with coaching, built for smaller healthcare providers and vendors.
- Accountable — HIPAA compliance software with published monthly pricing, risk assessments, policies and training for practices.
- Vanta — automated evidence collection for SOC 2, HIPAA and other frameworks, popular with digital health companies.
- MetricStream — an enterprise GRC platform for organizations that want risk and compliance software without a healthcare consulting arm.
- SentinelOne — endpoint protection and detection software, for buyers whose main need is security tooling rather than HIPAA risk analysis.
