Flattening The Curve Without Compromising Privacy And Security

June 22, 2020

In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, we are seeing concerted efforts by many entities attempting to slow the spread. Moving to the next phase of this crisis — successful containment and fewer new cases — requires the general public, health care providers, insurers, researchers and other parties to share data with one another to extrapolate information that can facilitate a more “flattened curve.”

However, this almost-overnight mission to share data could come at the cost of data privacy. In the rush to create repositories of usable information, it is possible that certain privacy best practices may be abandoned that could leave sensitive patient data exposed and, potentially, exploited.

Security is yet another issue, especially during times of crisis. We are not only seeing a rise in hacking attempts related to the pandemic but also more nation/state-sponsored attacks. A recent report suggests Chinese hackers have been trying to steal intellectual property from American researchers, health care organizations and universities.

The current crisis has highlighted the importance of striking the right balance of protecting sensitive data without inhibiting the information-sharing that can solve emerging challenges. Whether in the midst of a crisis or solving problems under more normal circumstances, companies must implement measures that promote secure data sharing.

(Link to the Article)