Managing Mobile Device Security in Healthcare
The use of mobile devices in healthcare is growing. More than half of doctors use tablets for their practice and 74% also use smartphone for professional purposes. However, with the efficiency that mobile technology brings, there is also risks of data infringement. Tablets or smartphones set down momentarily in an examining room leave private patient information exposed and with more devices in play, the more vulnerable becomes a healthcare network to breaches.
These best practices for healthcare workers using mobile devices help prevent data breaches.
- Implement auto-locking features on devices. When a tablet or smartphone is set down it should automatically require password access to open. Activating this feature ensures information remains protected in the device.
- Use privacy filters. Physicians may be wary of their digital device use in the office, but may feel more comfortable outside work using the same device. Prying eyes can see screens which may contain patient information. Blackout privacy filters ensure that no one can see the screen from side views. Only the user of the device can see the contents of the screen. Learn more about blackout privacy screens for mobile devices
- Use remote lock features. If a device is stolen, a physician can implement this feature to completely lock the device after several failed attempts at guessing a password.
- Use encryption. Transferred data from phones to tablets to laptops is becoming the norm in healthcare, which can leave emails and attachments exposed. All transferred data should be encrypted to prevent breaches.
- Update security software. Once hackers identity a device as used by a healthcare professional, they may be more persistent in their hacking attempts to access the confidential data. Updating security software across all devices helps prevent harmful apps and malware from infiltrating networks.
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