27M devices with medical apps vulnerable to malware: 5 insights into mobile healthcare security risks

A report from threat defense company Skycure has found nearly all physicians (99 percent) use mobile devices, according to an IT Pro Portal report. Along with the convenience of mobile health comes the threat to security. 

Here are five points from the report.

1. Approximately 27.79 Android devices using medical apps have at least one medical app and a high risk for malware; 4.21 percent of Android apps have malicious apps installed.

2. The majority of physicians (80 percent) use their mobile devices in daily practice. Additionally, 28 percent of physicians store patient data on their mobile device.

3. Physicians share data through various methods including:

•    SMS text messaging: 65 percent
•    Picture messaging: 46 percent
•    Whatsapp: 33 percent

4. In 2015, more than 260 significant healthcare data breaches occurred in 2015. Of those breaches, 9 percent involved a mobile device other than a laptop.

5. Network threats to mobile devices are cumulative over time. In the first month of security monitoring, 22 percent of mobile devices will be subject to an attack. Over the next four months, that number increases to 39 percent.

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