In today’s technology-driven world, we often reach for our cellphones
to help us answer questions, send a message to others, or track our
steps. Health apps are more popular than ever because it’s one of the
easiest ways to feel like we are somewhat aware of our health. Some
apps track your sleep, diet, blood pressure, and exercise. We may not
think anything of the information we plugin, but that information is
still medical data that can reveal more than we think. Albert Henry
(2022) states that health insurers could gather this information from
the health apps and use it for health scoring and pricing. Currently,
HIPAA does not protect this information, and there are no federal
laws that state any data privacy rules for apps. This poses an ethical
dilemma for individuals who want a way to track their health
information easily but worry about having their data compromised.
Health information is a hot commodity that can be held or sold for a
lot of money. The addition of remote working and cloud-based
applications has created additional security risks. Cyberattacks are
becoming more and more frequent, and organizations must work to
build up their IT security measures. Becker's Hospital Review (2022)
states that zero-trust security is effective and starts with identifying
users and applications that have access to sensitive data and then
establishing user roles to limit access to only what’s necessary. They
also state that emails have been the easiest way for hackers to access
the systems, and organizations should use programs that filter emails
with algorithms that rank the sender as reputable. Filtering emails can
cut down the possibility of employees clicking on bad links.
References
Albert Henry, T. (2022, January 10). How smartphone apps can—and
should—protect users’ health info. American Medical Association;
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-support-
advocacy/how-smartphone-apps-can-and-should-protect-users-
health
Becker's Hospital Review. (2022, May 19). Zero-trust email crucial to
healthcare IT security, cybersecurity experts say.
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/strategy/zero-trust-email-
crucial-to-healthcare-it-security-cybersecurity-experts-say.html
