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Delving Into Google Health's Privacy Concerns
SecureThroughObscure writes "Security researcher Robert 'RSnake' Hansen discusses numerous concerns with Google's new Google Health application, which aims to integrate user's medical records online. We discussed Google Health's opening to the public earlier this week. RSnake mentions that Google has found a loophole allowing them to provide this service without having to follow HIPAA regulations, which, combined with Google's track record of having numerous flaws leading to private information disclosure, draws serious concern. Security researcher Nate McFeters of ZDNet's Zero-Day Security Blog also commented on the article, mentioning several past vulnerabilities: ownership of content issues, Google Docs theft, a cross-domain hole, Google XSS, and a Google Picasa protocol handler issue leading to the theft of user images. He and fellow researcher Billy Rios disclosed these issues to Google, including the ability to steal GMail contact list information. McFeters says it's likely that similar unpatched bugs would allow an attacker to view medical records if a user was also using Google Health. Both McFeters and Hansen tend to agree that Google's vulnerability disclosure/notification is non-existent and really needs to be improved. Currently, Google does not report vulnerabilities it has fixed to its user base, for the obvious reason of trying to hide the fact that user data could have been stolen."
Google isn't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They want to monetize it, so how will they do that? Sell ads? Ok, where and when will they show up? Only when you are searching your health information or whenever you happen to be searching?
what about selling health information to other entities. Maybe they don't sell the identifying bits, but even regional data can have an enormous impact on your ability to get health and life insurance, the premiums you pay, etc. Insurance carriers already track regional trends, but more data means better predictions.
Look, corporate entities, and never, ever forget that Google is a corporate entity, have to make money and think about how they will do that.
You don't understand insurance in the slightest, or you wouldn't make statements like that.
1) When you get insurance as an individual, if you have a previously existing medical condition, and you manage to conceal it, they won't dig hard. They'll just take your money. When it comes time to make a claim, it WILL come out then, and they will refuse to cover you, even though they took your money. Transparency in medical records will protect people from doing this to themselves.
2) When you get group insurance, personal medical records don't come into it at all. Not at all. They calculate the risks based on the probability that any employee will require treatment based entirely on their demographic. That is what makes group insurance plans so appealing in the first place.
I used to sell the stuff for a brief period of time, until I learned how it really worked and realized I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror if I didn't get out of that industry. I know what I'm talking about.
-1 Uncomfortable Truth