Protecting patient privacy: navigating the landscape of mobile security in healthcare 

Healthcare providers are entrusted with safeguarding a wealth of personal information. From medical records to personal details, this data is essential for delivering accurate, efficient care. But, unfortunately, it can also make healthcare organisations a tempting target for cybercriminals, and the likelihood of this happening is increasing. 

While a data leak may not be your organisation’s fault, you can still be fined for not protecting patient data — and the fines for healthcare providers in particular are only becoming more costly, having increased for the thirteenth consecutive year, making them the highest of any industry, with a penalty of up to £8.7 million under UK GDPR regulation.

On top of this, brand reputation can also suffer as patients and investors lose trust in organisations who are publicly known to have suffered a breach. For example, when an NHS trust became the victim of cybercrime, they still suffered a high fine and reputational damage, despite using an IT service provider they trusted for their security protocol.

With eight in ten UK healthcare providers having experienced at least one security breach since 2021, let’s have a look at how you can build a better security plan to keep your organisation safe as the healthcare industry becomes increasingly mobile-first. 

Prioritising mobile security is non-negotiable for healthcare providers. It’s crucial for protecting sensitive patient information, staying compliant with regulations, and maintaining the integrity of the services you provide. And to make this possible, you require strong connectivity.

Fast, reliable connectivity infrastructure acts as a foundation for many mobile security measures — for example, ensuring security updates are easy to deploy across your entire suite of devices before cybercriminals can exploit vulnerabilities in legacy versions. By investing in a secure next-generation network, you’re laying the groundwork for an effective cybersecurity strategy.

Once strong, fast connectivity is in place, you need to ensure you are protected against malware and phishing attacks at device level. Mobile solutions like Three Mobile Protect enable your team to prioritise privacy and maintain compliance during communication on the go, by stopping phishing, malware, and data loss on every individual device across your team.

Every member of staff should also have two-factor or biometric authentication in place, to ensure that only authorised personnel can access patient data, providing an extra layer of assurance when undergoing regulatory audits.

And, for maximum peace of mind, healthcare providers, like you, should consider using mobile device management solutions to centrally manage and secure mobile devices. This gives you the power to enforce security policies, update software, and remotely wipe devices in the event of an emergency.