Comprehensive Overview of the Health Information Security Risks in Mobile Devices

One of the innovative aspects of information technology that has been used in health organizations due to its unique capabilities is mobile devices. Knowing the threats and risks of mobile devices and information security leads to a better management and reduction in the negative consequences of problems. The purpose of this study was to identify threats and security risks of information associated with using mobile devices in health domain.

This article is a narrative review. We searched keywords related to information security of mobile devices in the field of health through related databases, in Persian and English language articles published from 2005 to 2014. Also related articles in the selected articles list have been analyzed. Then the most important threats and dangers have been recognized and presented in a systematic way.

According to this survey, the main security risks of mobile devices in the field of health generally included 16 cases. Some of these cases could be the mobile devices being lost or stolen, targeted threats of hackers, and malware.

The health organizations need to consider all security challenges about mobile devices, especially those related to security. Thus they can take full advantage of these tools consciously.