Biometric Identification in Healthcare Doesn’t Replace Data Security Best Practices

Biometric Identification in Healthcare Doesn’t Replace Data Security Best Practices

While no system is foolproof, biometrics are vastly more accurate and secure ways to identify patients because they measure a physical trait (something you are) rather than a piece of knowledge (something you know e.g., passwords, ssn, PIN).

Cases of mistaken identity can have devastating consequences in healthcare. A newborn could go home with the wrong parents, or a patient might receive the incorrect medication or diagnosis.

Even minor mistakes can have negative outcomes — a doctor’s office that is slow to produce a patient’s files because of a delayed identification process can erode patient confidence, not to mention create delays in their care. To further complicate matters, currently the Social Security Number remains common as an identifier, even in the face of increased fraud and data breaches.

There’s no reason for patients to remain at such risk with more secure and unique digital methods available. It’s apparent that the healthcare industry — from small clinics to the largest hospital networks — is in need of a better universal identifier.

One such identifier is a perfect fit for a new ID method in healthcare — biometrics. After all, facial scanning and fingerprint IDs already unlock many modern smartphones. And home health tests prove consumers’ increasing comfort sharing their biological data for improved service and convenience. By 2022, it is estimated that 40% of healthcare organizations will use biometric-based identification, and by 2024, the market for technology systems that allow this type of ID will reach $3.5 billion.

But among all the opportunities for biometrics to make identification more accurate, less time consuming and more consistent, healthcare organizations must also realize implementing such a system doesn’t make the underlying data any more secure. Just like a SSN, a thumbprint, an eye scan or even a vein print is merely a method of accurate identification based on previously verified and stored data. And if the underlying systems that store the data — from IT infrastructure to file systems — are not secure, it doesn’t matter how unique the identifier or mechanism for identification might be.

Science fiction and determined hacker groups might have you believe biometric systems are easy to spoof. While no system is foolproof, biometrics are vastly more accurate and secure ways to identify patients because they measure a physical trait (something you are) rather than a piece of knowledge (something you know e.g., passwords, ssn, PIN). In reality, the cost to fake or duplicate something as complex as an iris or fingerprint drives hackers to focus on less secure systems.

Take the news of India’s recent healthcare breaches, for example. In search of a better form of patient identification, the country’s Aadhaar project enrolled biometrics for more than 1.8 billion residents into the system in 2018. Since then, the project has been plagued by reports of insecure data due to poor security standards. In one case, a researcher found more than 40,000 ID card scans on an unsecured third-party database. Bad actors went after unsecured transactions instead of finding utility in biometric data.

None of this is to say healthcare providers shouldn’t look to implement biometric identification. However, in doing so, they should take the opportunity to carefully examine their underlying data security systems and protocols, including:

● Committing to extensive training. Data breaches are often the result of human error. Even in healthcare, where HIPAA and other very strict privacy laws require workers to be particularly careful with data, breaches can easily occur as a result of improper training or neglect. Everyone, from nurses to support staff to seasoned neurosurgeons, should be well versed in phishing and other techniques employed by bad actors.

● Being mindful of third-party data access. Sharing data is vital to ensuring patients receive necessary care. However, healthcare professionals need to be vigilant not just about their own organizations’ data security, but also their third-party partners’. A breach at a lab or satellite facility can still expose organizations to risk.

Ensuring a breach response and recovery plan exists. Organizations should have a concrete plan to respond and recover if a breach does occur, and conduct frequent drills to test that plan. The financial impact and damage to the organization’s reputation can be difficult to recover from if teams are scrambling to respond.

A future where something as unique as a fingerprint or face shape unlocks our entire medical history is exciting. Biometric identification systems have the potential to improve quality of services received by patients through quick and accurate identification, and save healthcare providers cost by reducing caregivers unproductive time and minimizing risk. However, healthcare organizations must first realize their data is only as secure as both the basic systems that house it and the business practices that make the data accessible to authorized users, internally or externally. Biometric identifiers are merely the key to data — healthcare organizations must be careful to keep the locks secure.

Featured

  • Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Top Five Action Items to Elevate Your Data Security Posture Management and Secure Your Data

    October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and every year most tips for security hygiene and staying safe have not changed. We’ve seen them all – use strong passwords, deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA), be vigilant to spot phishing attacks, regularly update software and patch your systems. These are great recommended ongoing tips and are as relevant today as they’ve ever been. But times have changed and these best practices can no longer be the bare minimum. Read Now

  • Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    In alignment with the state of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected and engaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView VMS is being installed throughout more than 150 state boards, commissions and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands of constituents who access state services daily. Read Now

  • Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    This year’s Live From GSX program was a rousing success! Again, we’d like to thank our partners, and IPVideo, for working with us and letting us broadcast their solutions to the industry. You can follow our Live From GSX 2023 page to keep up with post-show developments and announcements. And if you’re interested in working with us in 2024, please don’t hesitate to ask about our Live From programs for ISC West in March or next year’s GSX. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • People Say the Funniest Things

    People Say the Funniest Things

    By all accounts, GSX version 2023 was completely successful. Apparently, there were plenty of mix-ups with the airlines and getting aircraft from the East Coast into Big D. I am all ears when I am in a gathering of people. You never know when a nugget of information might flip out. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.” 3

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame. 3