By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    email marketing in healthcare
    Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing in Healthcare
    October 26, 2023
    healthcare claims
    The Role of Communication in Resolving Complex Workers’ Compensation Claims in Healthcare Settings
    September 22, 2024
    Wounds and Wisdom: What Motorcycle Accidents Teach Us About Health and Healing
    Wounds and Wisdom: What Motorcycle Accidents Teach Us About Health and Healing
    February 12, 2025
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Privacy and Security and the Internet of Things
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Medical Records > Privacy and Security and the Internet of Things
BusinesseHealthMedical RecordsPolicy & LawTechnology

Privacy and Security and the Internet of Things

David Harlow
Last updated: February 4, 2015 9:00 am
David Harlow
Share
5 Min Read
internet of things
SHARE

internet of thingsIn the future, everything will be connected.

That future is almost here.

internet of thingsIn the future, everything will be connected.

That future is almost here.

More Read

How You Can Take Your Supplement Brand To The Next Level
Advocating for Patients at ASCO, The “World Series” of Cancer
mHealth Device Data to Eliminate Annual Checkup, Improve Disease Research
Why Are Good Hospitals Good?
Open-Source EHR: Benefits and Drawbacks

Over a year ago, the Federal Trade Commission held an Internet of Things workshop and it has finally issued a report summarizing comments and recommendations that came out of that conclave.

As in the case of the HITECH Act’s attempt to increase public confidence in electronic health records by ramping up privacy and security protections for health data, the IoT report — and an accompanying publication with recommendations to industry regarding taking a risk-based approach to development, adhering to industry best practices (encryption, authentication, etc.) — seeks to increase the public’s confidence, but are doing it the FTC way: no actual rules, just guidance that can be used later by the FTC in enforcement cases. The FTC can take action against an entity that engages in unfair or deceptive business practices, but such practices are defined by case law (administrative and judicial), not regulations, thus creating the U.S. Supreme Court and pornography conundrum — I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it (see Justice Stewart’s timeless concurring opinion in Jacobellis v. Ohio).

To anyone actively involved in data privacy and security, the recommendations seem frighteningly basic:

  • build security into devices at the outset, rather than as an afterthought in the design process;
  • train employees about the importance of security, and ensure that security is managed at an appropriate level in the organization;
  • ensure that when outside service providers are hired, that those providers are capable of maintaining reasonable security, and provide reasonable oversight of the providers;
  • when a security risk is identified, consider a “defense-in-depth” strategy whereby multiple layers of security may be used to defend against a particular risk;
  • consider measures to keep unauthorized users from accessing a consumer’s device, data, or personal information stored on the network;
  • monitor connected devices throughout their expected life cycle, and where feasible, provide security patches to cover known risks.
  • consider data minimization – that is, limiting the collection of consumer data, and retaining that information only for a set period of time, and not indefinitely;
  • notify consumers and give them choices about how their information will be used, particularly when the data collection is beyond consumers’ reasonable expectations.

Stakeholders and FTC staff agreed that it is too soon for IoT-specific privacy and security legislation, and reiterated the agency’s the 2012 call for broad-based, flexible, technology-neutral data security and breach notification legislation. (See Health Populi for more on the IoT report.) The President seems to be in favor of strong, uniform, data privacy and security rules as well.

Uniformity would be a good thing. As things stand now, the FTC and OCR have overlapping jurisdiction when it comes to enforcing privacy and security rules with respect to health data. (Oh, and let’s not forget about state attorneys general and, while we’re at it, private lawsuits, as vehicles for enforcement). While overlapping jurisdiction should not matter to those of us who are in compliance with the rules, the problem is that the rules (at least on the FTC side) are not necessarily clear. That issue is magnified because FTC enforcement can include long-term monitoring and reporting on remediation and compliance, and can drive a company out of business. (Consider the LabMD case, just for instance.)

In addition, the IoT report covers some of the same ground as the FDA’s recently-issued draft guidance entitled General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices, which complements last year’s mHealth guidance.

When the federals put a stake in ground — as they have with all of these issuances — innovation can proceed because we all have a better sense of the contours of the regulatory landscape. The problem is that these are guideposts that can shift in unpredictable ways in the future, or that can easily disappear — like the landmarks disappearing under a blanket of heavy snow falling outside my window as I type this post.

Nevertheless, it is possible to plan for that inscrutable future by building products and services, and communicating with partners, consumers and regulators, in a way that honors public expectations and the policies underpinning the government’s various declarations about data privacy and security. 

everything is connected / shutterstock

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

medical practice and technology advancement
Technology

6 Essential Strategies for Improving Your Medical Practice

January 25, 2023

Health Care Buzz Today

June 6, 2011
NC Doctor's Day
Social Media

NC Doctors’ Day: Thank Your Local MD

March 23, 2015
Business

The Technology and Services You Need to Open Your Own Counseling Office

December 23, 2022
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?