PL Risk Blog

Privacy Concerns in the Age of COVID-19

Written by Drew Smith | May 1, 2020 12:45:00 PM

With many people forced into their homes and forced to work online, the eternal question on how to keep their  information secure has reared its displeasing head. With more people working from home, hackers have easier targets to steal from.

But it’s the reopening of the economy that creates an extremely sensitive issue that could be exploited. As part of the process to reopen the various economies, the various governments need to access medical files to determine whether or not someone has been treated for the virus or if they require further hospitalization. “In attempting to manage the virus' spread and reopen the struggling economy, tech companies and governments have both sought to come up with effective yet socially distant ways to keep close tabs on people's health status and movements. These methods often involve using technology to collect vital but potentially sensitive health and location information, highlighting issues that hadn't previously been featured in the long-running privacy debate on Capitol Hill and potentially prompting lawmakers to ease up on restrictions they've long sought to place on companies.[1]

Health data is considered among the most valuable information to hackers and malicious actors. This new requirement will force various tech companies to rethink how to protect their clients data in order to maintain compliance with the various state compliance laws. Discuss your concerns with healthcare providers and your insurance carrier as states begin to open up.

[1] https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/1267255/how-covid-19-is-set-to-reshape-federal-privacy-law-debate-?nl_pk=8f85a4a5-2a32-4fc5-9dd3-ab0f84070a2f&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cybersecurity-privacy