OFF TOPIC Mobile devices security
Alberto Tinazzi IT Security Consultant eHealth Security Services
atinazzi@ehealthsecurity.com.au
In the healthcare industry, having access to the right information at the right time is not only convenient but it could mean the difference between life and death. In the near future a doctor may be able to look up
patients’ information in a shared electronic record from anywhere using a range of portable mobile devices. This means, for instance, being able to find out information such as blood type, allergies or particular medical conditions of an individual that has been involved in a serious accident. Access to this information in real time gives the
health professional a much better chance of making the right decision, in a more timely manner. Mobile computing may also be of great assistance to clinicians working in hospitals as it allows them to access and update patient files in a very effective way. Doctors, nurses and other paramedic staff benefit from being able to access and update a patient’s record from anywhere, for example, when visiting a patient at home or in a residential facility. With the consumeratisation of IT, or in other words
with the availability of ever more sophisticated and powerful IT devices entering the market, users are becoming more demanding when it comes to data accessibility. They expect to be able to access data from anywhere, at any time and using the device of their choosing. It follows that an increasing number of patients
will start to expect their doctors to have access to these technologies as well. Health professionals are becoming more demanding of their technology. Outside of work they increasingly perform many tasks using their mobile phones or tablet devices, including online banking, processing online payments, shopping
Alberto Tinazzi is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). He works as an independent information security consultant specialised in the healthcare sector. He has 16 years experience as an IT professional, specialised in information management and security. He has spent the last 10 years working within the health sector covering a number of different roles within the Division of General Practice Network.
42 Pulse+IT
online, keeping in touch with friends and family and accessing a huge amount of information via the web.
Security Risks Due to the affordability of mobile equipment, the proliferation of cloud computing and the availability of ever more powerful and reliable wireless technologies, in the next few years we will witness a boost in the usage of mobile computing across all sectors. This also applies to the health sector, where the benefits of mobile computing are unquestionable. Data mobility increases collaboration, efficiency
and business value but it also increases risk. Data externalisation is probably one of the biggest risks introduced by mobile devices and removable media. From the mid nineties onwards, data started travelling outside the physical perimeter of many businesses. With the widespread use of removable media (USB sticks, CDs and DVDs, external hard drives etc) and mobile devices, data is even more externalised and in the future, the fast and inevitable uptake of cloud computing will lead towards full data de-perimeterisation. Portable devices and removable media can be
easily lost or stolen and the cost of replacing these devices becomes insignificant compared to the risks associated with unauthorised access. A malicious person could use a stolen or misplaced mobile device to steal its owner’s identity and send out messages to their contacts. Pretending to be the owner, the perpetrator could use the information contained in the device to extort money from the owner, their customers or patients. Like regular PCs, mobile devices are also subject to
the risk of malware. While portable PCs and PC tablets may use conventional desktop antivirus and personal firewall software, these features are not commonly available on smartphones and tablets, making them extremely vulnerable. For this reason such devices are increasingly being targeted by hackers. A recent study by Juniper Networks1
shows that mobile malware has grown 250% between 2009 and 2010.
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