McAfee: How to make telehealth safer for a more convenient life online

An image of McAfee, Security & Data, McAfee: How to make telehealth safer for a more convenient life online

McAfee shares its top tips on how individuals can protect their personal data online.

Among the many significant shifts in lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we used healthcare was one of the most significant. Providers limited in-person visits, elective procedures were delayed, and we avoided hospitals. In response, we went online and started using telehealth and other virtual solutions in ways we never had before. 

McAfee’s latest consumer mindset survey confirms this was more than a passing trend, showing an almost 50% rise since the beginning of the pandemic in the use of PCs and Mobile devices to access health information, meet virtually with health care providers, and manage prescriptions. Survey respondents also showed they adapted by increasing their usage of smart fitness devices, like Fitbits, to track their health. 

The hidden cost of convenience  

Navigating the healthcare system and accessing more of our services through the web means more of our personal information is now online. From patient intake forms to test results, a great deal of data about our health, including confidential information like vaccination records, is potentially available. Survey respondents confirmed that they shared and accessed their personal health information across the internet, despite 1/3 or more of respondents having concerns for their privacy and security of their personal information. 

This trend hasn’t gone unnoticed by cybercriminals. In fact, the US Department of Health and Human Services is currently investigating nearly 800 health-related data breaches impacting nearly 60 million individuals. All of which is to say that telehealth advances may help us avoid sitting in a doctor’s office, but we need to be more mindful about our security when using these new online services. 

Maintaining your online wellness  

Despite the adoption of many telehealth and online health services, security was still a concern for many of our survey respondents. A majority said the primary reason they do not use smart devices for their personal health was because of privacy and security concerns. Fortunately, just as there is preventive medicine, we can also take preventive cybersecurity measures to keep personal data safer online. Here are a few we recommend: 

  • Use a VPN when conducting a Telehealth video call with a physician, accessing your medical records, or managing your prescriptions. 
  • A VPN is a Virtual Private Network, a service that protects your data and privacy online. It creates an encrypted tunnel to keep you anonymous by masking your IP address. This means you can keep prying eyes away from your confidential conversations. 
  • Use a proven security solution such as McAfee Total Protection on all devices. 
  • All-in-one protection is a great way to keep your devices, identity, and privacy safer as you go about life online. 
  • Only use HTTPS connections when accessing a telehealth website.  
  • Look at the web address in your browser to confirm it starts with HTTPS. These connections add security to your data transfers and help prevent data scraping. 
  • Use two-factor authentication when authenticating into essential accounts. 
  • In addition to your password/username combo, you’re asked to verify who you are with something that you – and only you — own, such as a mobile phone. Put simply: it uses two factors to confirm it’s you. 
  • Practice safe password hygiene, don’t use the same passwords across your accounts and especially not for accessing your health information. 
  • A password manager is a great way to organise and generate keys for your login.  

READ MORE

The shift to managing our health online comes with a few safety considerations. Still, by following the steps above, we can enjoy convenience and access to a healthier life online and off. 

For more news from Top Business Tech, don’t forget to subscribe to our daily bulletin!

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

An image of McAfee, Security & Data, McAfee: How to make telehealth safer for a more convenient life online

Amber Donovan-Stevens

Amber is a Content Editor at Top Business Tech

Half of founders struggle to engage their communities

Taavi Kotka • 29th March 2023

– Almost two thirds recognise that sharing business success with contributors is key to growth and helping them to ā€˜scale with soul’ – More than a third recognise that building a loyal and engaged community is key for fundraising

The Risk of IT Business as Usual

Steve Hollingsworth and Gurdip Sohal • 27th March 2023

IT teams within mid-sized organisations are over-stretched. Resources are scarce, with sometimes skeleton teams responsible for all aspects of IT delivery across large numbers of users. With up to 90% of the team’s time being spent ā€˜keeping the lights on’, there is minimal scope for the strategic thinking and infrastructure optimisation that business leaders increasingly...

How retailers can embrace AI to build loyalty

Dan Hartveld CTO at Red Ant • 23rd March 2023

A key retail tech approach for 2023 is clienteling, which uses AI to offer customers the best of both worlds – the human touch coupled with the most personalised digital experiences. It means the establishment of long-term relationships with shoppers by using customer data that provides real-time insight into their preferences, behaviours, and purchases. This...