Mobile Technology in Healthcare Environment: Security Vulnerabilities and Countermeasures

Abstract: Mobile devices and technologies offer a tremendous amount of benefits to users, although it is also understood that it introduces a set of challenges when it comes to security, compliance, and risks. More and more healthcare organizations have been seeking to update their outdated technology, and have considered the adoption of mobile devices to meet these needs. However, introducing mobile devices and technology also introduces new risks and threats to the organization. As a test case, we examine Epic Rover, a mobile application that has been identified as a viable solution to manage the electronic medical system. In this paper, we study the insights that the security team needs to investigate, before the adoption of this mobile technology, as well as provide a thorough examination of the vulnerabilities and threats that the use of mobile devices in the healthcare environment brings, and introduce countermeasures and mitigations to reduce the risk while maintaining regulatory compliance.