New study reveals risk for data loss and medical identity theft in healthcare
Peer-to-peer networks pose a greater risk for data loss than losing a laptop.
This is according to a new study by Dartmouth College business professor Eric Johnson who will present Data Hemorrhages in the Health Care Sector at an industry conference this month.
SCMagazineUS.com's report on Johnson's findings reveals some surprising ways personal identification details can be compromised.
Johnson says that healthcare organizations storing data in unencrypted formats like Word documents and PDFs is a main cause of lost data and medical identity theft in the healthcare sector.
Robert Boback, CEO of P2P monitoring vendor Tiversa collaborated with Johnson on the study.
"We've found that most healthcare providers are not aware of the severity of the threat these public networks pose, how they operate, or even the alarming rate at which data is actually being disclosed," Boback told the magazine.
Meanwhile, one of President Obama's healthcare objectives has recently raised eyebrows among identity theft security experts.
The new administration intends to spend money to modernize and convert the health and medical records system to an electronic-based network. Some skeptics worry that identity theft and personal privacy issues may not be fully addressed.
Experts worry over 'e-health' file medical records identity theft security
President Obama intends to revolutionize health information technology during his presidency, but skeptics remain over the security of electronic health and medical records from identity thieves.
The economic stimulus plan under review by the Senate includes a $20 billion health IT component that would include migrating over time to electronic health records and a network of files for the healthcare industry and could put medical records at risk of identity theft.
An article in the Christian Science Monitor reminds lawmakers that while many advocate modernizing the health records system, the bill should contain an "opt-out clause" whereby participants can choose not to participate in the 'e-health' network in order to keep their medical records safe from identity theft.
Meanwhile, advocacy group Patient Privacy Rights generally supports the "practical, commonsense measures in the bill that begin to restore the consumer privacy protections" that have lapsed more recently.
But the group also "urges members to fight any weakening of the provisions that improve enforcement, require audit trails, breach notification, limitations on marketing and other uses of our personal information."
A report from the Department of Health and Human Services addresses the possibility of medical records identity theft and solutions for protecting medical records online from identity theft in the healthcare sector.
