Today passwords are getting just as advanced, though hackers could still break through them. New ways are being looked into for a more secure way into records and data. A heartbeat password could soon be used to access medical records.
Healthcare is becoming more advanced today. Traditional clinic-centered healthcare is giving way to mobile and online healthcare provision. There is need for a more secure way to protect and access patients' medical records. Researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York have found a way to secure medical data by using a patient's heartbeat as password.
Using traditional means of password protection can be expensive. Encryption could also be time consuming. Although it is mostly secure, hacking could still be an issue. The new method made by researchers use the patient's electrocardiograph (ECG) as a means of securing data and files. This is by having a biosensor attached to the patient's skin.
Zhangpeng Jin is the co-author and the assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science at Binghamton University. He has observed that ECG is one of the most important life signs for a person's health. ECG signals used for diagnosis could be used as well for data encryption, which would be more cost effective.
The study builds upon an earlier work made by Jin, according to Science Daily. In his earlier work Jin uses the patient's brainprint along with security made by assistant professor Linke Guo and associate professor Yu Chen. Other variables are also being worked on, since ECG is dependent on a person's age and health.
Jin has said that the study would help in making more secure ways of protecting data, as UPI reports. There is certainly a need for a better way of securing data. Having a heartbeat password might be a start. A heartbeat password could soon be used to access medical records. A study has also found mini strokes could cause dementia.
