Mental health is not spoken about enough, even though it is slowly turning into one of the gravest health concerns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 20% of US adults live with some form of mental health problem. Moreover, 1 in 25 adults has a serious concern, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
After the onset of COVID-19, these numbers have gotten worse. The pressure on the health system is extreme, with remote mental health services on the rise. This has been a life-saving intervention in the lives of millions who cannot travel or afford good quality mental health care.
However, according to AU10TIX, one of the biggest concerns plaguing this system over the internet is identity verification. This sets off a chain reaction, impacting various significant security and data-related issues that put crucial personal medical information at risk.
This blog post will take you through a few processes to fortify identity verification without it being an unnecessary burden on authentic clients.
Know Your Customer (KYC)
This is by far the most important and abused process for any establishment relying on customer authenticity, be it banks or mental health service applications.
A stringent KYC process safeguards against fraudulent activities and identity theft and establishes an ecosystem that is safe and secure for the patient and the expert. Adherence to KYC is also a regulatory norm set by agencies like HIPAA.
For a well-rounded approach, it’s important to consider multiple layers of security. This can include using government-issued ID cards, biometric data, and knowledge-based authentication to establish a thorough patient identity profile. However, implementing such robust measures might be extremely time-consuming and resource-heavy.
You can always outsource the procedure of onboarding and identity checks to third-party service providers. These entities keep evolving with time and generally have the latest security measures that are much more exhaustive.
There is one big benefit that comes with experienced third-party security solutions. They have access to various public databases, like government-held records. So, using the latest software tools like APIs (application programming interfaces) and AJAX (asynchronous javascript) calls, these services can cross-check the customer’s information in seconds.
Additionally, using KYC API for user authentication ensures compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.
Specific Patient Portal Authentication
KYC verification is a one-time process that allows the patient to onboard a mental health platform, like an application. However, you would also want to authenticate the users every time they want to access the mental health portal, be it a website or an application.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one of the most widely used identity verification tools today. It adds extra layers to your regular username-password process. However, stolen credentials are one of the biggest risks.
For example, Microsoft’s systems face a constant barrage of password attacks, highlighting the persistent and unyielding nature of cyber threats. It is crucial to note that the vast majority of compromised accounts, over 99.9%, do not have MFA enabled.
So, after a user passes the first authentication round using a username and password, they need to solve the MFA puzzle.It can involve anything from one-time passwords (OTP) and hardware tokens, to biometric data like fingerprints or facial recognition. This is done to authenticate a patient’s identity before granting access to their mental health records.
The services are there for people suffering from various mental health issues, so you don’t want them to feel anxious from the very beginning with MFA protocols.
MFA solutions should be designed to be flexible yet robust. Whatever the platform is where the patients need access, there need to be clear and actionable instructions on the security measures.
Blockchain Technology
A blockchain is a decentralized system of storing information without the control and monopoly of any central entity. Each block (computer in the blockchain network) has an updated version of all the data that is in the chain.
You can create your block in the chain and add essential personal information. Your block will get added to the network only once it is trusted by the majority of blocks already in the network. In effect, it is practically impossible to modify records without modifying the subsequent blocks of information.
If such a mass change is triggered, the network is alerted, and the majority will not allow this uncalled change. Your private information is safe from unauthorized alterations, hacks, or fraudulent activities within the system.
One exciting protocol that is now being adopted by services is Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP). With ZKPs, patients can provide proof of specific identity attributes without revealing those attributes. This keeps their underlying data private, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected. For instance, a patient could demonstrate their age without revealing their specific date of birth.
For you to leverage this technology in your system architecture, you need to keep interoperability and scalability in mind. Moreover, you also have to comply with the stringent and relevant healthcare regulations, such as HIPAA in the United States and GDPR in the European Union.
The GDPR probably has the most stringent privacy and security law in the world when it comes to accessing EU residents’ data from outside the EU.
To sum up, when someone’s private data, like name, email, phone number, and residence address, is present digitally, it is being accessed by multiple devices and platforms. Even though most of these platforms do ask for access control from the user, how they will leverage the data is generally not kept transparent.
However, you would want absolute security for the private health data of your patients. Your system needs to be secured like a fort from all kinds of data breach attempts. It is up to you, to design the necessary ecosystem on your own or hand the reins to an experienced security solutions enterprise.
Whatever you choose, always remember that the patients trust you with their most vulnerable information.
Leave feedback about this