Mobile apps are increasingly used in healthcare to schedule doctor’s
appointments, conduct telehealth consultations, and communicate with
healthcare providers. In a world where mobile technology is prevalent,
communication security has become an essential aspect of business
operations. We can find news in the media about companies and
government agencies dealing with malicious cyberattacks. The more
sensitive the information companies hold, the more susceptible and
critical it is to possible infiltrations. Healthcare data is highly
sensitive and naturally a prime target for hackers looking to
infiltrate a system and obtain private information illegally.
Considering that healthcare information can have a direct effect on
patient outcomes, healthcare mobile apps are a subject of extreme
importance. Their security is paramount from the perspective of
regulatory compliance and in earning and maintaining patients' trust.
Usually, health data – mainly medical information and payment records
– is the most sensitive data and might be the most profitable to
hackers. A breach could lead to suffering for purchasers, from
identity theft to financial loss to compromised patient care. And
every breach a healthcare organization suffers comes with legal and
financial repercussions: they face regulatory sanctions for
non-compliance. Today, with regulations like HIPAA and its European
counterpart, GDPR, defining rather strict standards for data
protection, the stakes are pitched higher than ever, especially for
healthcare mobile apps to provide the proper layers of security.
This article will tackle the best practices for securing your data in
healthcare mobile apps. Data protection is essential for healthcare
mobile apps, and proactive security methods could help reduce risks
and increase application safety. From data encryption to secure user
authentication and periodic security audits, the following sections
will discuss the best practices that should be at the core of each
healthcare organization’s application. While best practices are always
subject to change per the demands of the industry, every healthcare
provider needs to keep abreast of these best practices to help protect
sensitive health data and maintain an organization that follows
industry standards.
Protecting our patient’s data while making brilliant software demands
is vital but presents significant obstacles in the healthcare
industry. Considering how the very cornerstone of the patient-provider
relationship is confidentiality and trust, we must maintain our
patient’s privacy and prevent their values, history, treatment plans,
and other personal information from falling into the wrong hands. The
consequences that can follow from data breaches can be disastrous for
a patient, including everything from identity theft to insurance fraud
to manipulation of their information, leading to disability or even
death. If hospitals lose control of their patient’s information, they
will lose considerable business, money, and reputation. Even with new
laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA), hospitals and software developers are still struggling to
reconcile the ethical responsibility of privacy with the obligation of
compliance.
When developing a healthcare mobile app, it's crucial to deeply
understand the need for robust security and compliance. Several
regulatory requirements, such as the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the US and the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, mandate safeguards to protect the
security and privacy of patients’ information. HIPAA requires that
covered entities and business associates implement safeguards and that
these entities and covered businesses have policies to protect the
confidentiality of health information. GDPR puts personal data owners
in the driver’s seat, giving them ownership and management rights and
the ability to bring lawsuits against entities that could breach their
rights. Failing to understand and implement these requirements could
result in fines and lawsuits. Healthcare organizations must take all
the necessary measures to protect the patient’s data and comply with
the legal requirements.
Data breaches represent one of the most severe threats to the
integrity of healthcare mobile apps. They result from adversaries
getting hold of protected health information(PHI), often due to
inadequate app configurations or other vulnerabilities. A second major
threat to integrity is malware, which can be used to infect devices’
operating systems. They can enable adversaries to intercept
communications or gain unauthorized access to the health data stored
on the mobile device. Malware is most commonly spread through phishing
attacks, which aim to persuade a patient to provide his health data or
trick the patient into downloading harmful apps that pose as useful
healthcare tools.
In the healthcare industry, email is another sensitive area where
phishing attacks pose a significant risk, which is vital for
communicating with patients and providers. Attackers might impersonate
known healthcare entities to get login credentials or trick users into
downloading malware. Another threat area that is almost constant in
almost every industry is the use of insecure networks, such as public
Wi-Fi networks, that could intercept sensitive information leaked by
mobile apps between a user and a healthcare server. What healthcare
organizations must do is familiarise themselves with these prevalent
security risks and develop comprehensive action plans to secure their
mobile apps and the sensitive information they process.
Strong encryption must protect data at rest and at its most permissive – data in transit, i.e., while moving across the network. Encryption algorithms, such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), can be used to protect confidential and proprietary information from illegitimate and spoof access and breaches. Healthcare handheld apps must ensure that a data breach does not cause irreparable damage to patients’ privacy and security, as well as to the organization’s reputation and financial state. Protecting patient health information often means protecting what the organization already has, which is why encryption paired with continuous behavior monitoring is so important. It’s a fact that HIPAA and other compliance standards already mandate encryption to achieve security goals.
Strong user authentication is essential to make sure only the right people have access to healthcare mobile apps and patient data. Two-factor authentication is an excellent way to provide an extra layer of assurance – requiring users to provide two forms of identification, one something they know (such as a password) and the other something they have (such as a smartphone). Biometric verification (such as fingerprint or facial recognition) is another way of enhancing authentication security. Password hygiene best practices can help reduce successful unauthorized access attempts, including recommending that users adhere to complex passwords and update them regularly, as well as avoid re-using the same passwords.
In addition, it’s important for organizations to periodically perform security assessments and audits to monitor the security of their applications and maintain continued security for the app as it is used. Several techniques can be used to conduct security testing, including penetration or ‘pen’ testing, vulnerability assessments, and risk assessments to discover security gaps and provide an actionable plan to remediate these security vulnerabilities. By utilizing automated security tools and through security testing engagements from third-party security resources, organizations can bolster their security initiatives through both automated and manual approaches. By taking these steps, healthcare providers can adopt a continuous security strategy, enabling them to prevent and mitigate new and complex security issues as they arise.
Meeting the standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) is crucial for mobile app security, as these regulatory measures determine the safekeeping of patients’ sensitive personal health information. Adhering to these regulations obliges health organizations to implement specific security controls, such as encryption, access controls, and risk assessments, and the breach of expectations can lead to hefty penalties, legal liabilities, and public stigma. To stay compliant, healthcare organizations often need to constantly educate their staff on data security practices to avoid violations and the costs that arise from them. Thus, while meeting regulatory standards ensures the protection of patients’ data, remaining non-compliant entails significant risks.
Authorized users must have access to only their applications. Role Based Access Control (RBAC) is necessary to buffer user data. This framework avoids both issues; the healthcare mobile application allows only authorized users to access the system. The principle of least privilege also plays an essential role in the healthcare environment. Users should have only the authority to do their job and nothing more. A clear link between job functions and permissions can be established with RBAC. From an enterprise point of view, it is always best if employees have the least authority possible. Robust access control with regular auditing for access rights can significantly improve healthcare mobile applications against sensitive attacks.
Various types of security technologies and health IT solutions need to
be considered to improve the security of healthcare mobile apps when
preventing security breaches. Firewalls are critical security tools
for controlling and monitoring incoming and outgoing network traffic
based on predefined security rules, preventing malicious enterprise or
healthcare network access. Another critical technology is intrusion
detection systems (IDS). These technologies monitor and analyze
network traffic and detect malicious activity or breaches. It is also
important to use encryption technologies, secure APIs, and
multi-layered security frameworks to protect the various levels
involving healthcare data deemed sensitive.
If the technologies above were implemented, mobile apps in the
healthcare environment would be far safer since they could mitigate
the associated risks using the technologies specified to secure them.
The apps should become less vulnerable to various types of
cyberattacks.
The landscape of healthcare mobile app security is rapidly changing due to the emergence of several groundbreaking technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These technologies are determining the future of cyber security as they are increasingly used to assess various attacks in real-time and achieve better and faster results by analyzing an extensive volume of data. These new security systems learn from past cyber breaches. They can even predict vulnerabilities by identifying patterns that could indicate an attack shortly. The blockchain technology is also considered a promising option for securing medical records. Due to its lack of intermediaries, the blockchain leaves no space for manipulating or modifying information in the healthcare cloud. This tamper-proof record of all transactions generated in space and time and healthcare interactions offers new security opportunities. The future of healthcare mobile apps lies in their ability to adapt to the latest technological developments to predict sophisticated cyber threats and provide better protection for patient data.
To summarise, the safety of healthcare mobile apps is a crucial issue. To protect sensitive and confidential patient data, mitigate reputational damage, and ensure business continuity, healthcare mobile apps should follow best practices – data encryption, secure user authentication, periodic security audits, and compliance with regulatory standards to access controls. Moving forward, developing stronger and more efficient security technologies may contribute to making mobile technology even safer for the healthcare environment. Being aware of the latest trends in security technologies and their application to subsequent versions of healthcare mobile apps will be crucial to achieving a satisfactory level of protection in an increasingly digital health landscape. Mobile app security is not only crucial for preserving the confidentiality of patients’ information, but it also improves regulatory compliance and, as a consequence, the effectiveness of care quality.