Privacy-Preserving HSNS System Requirements
So far, most research and practice for data protection have focused on specific technologies and techniques. Analysis of HSNS privacy concerns show that even if technology innovations in access control, cryptography, and network security were deployed, and even if users were aware and competent in the use of sophisticated privacy settings, personal health data would still be exposed. Such exposure would include potential privacy violations by authorized users, including the omniscient service provider and its many business partners, but also privacy violations by authorized third-party applications, which could have the hidden purpose of capturing medical data and other personal, social, and professional data. In fact, Internet users are becoming increasingly concerned about online privacy and correctly believe that they’re far more exposed today than they were a generation earlier.13 From the user perspective, a willingness to provide personal information depends heavily on the level of anonymity of the information, its possible recipients, its possible uses or disclosures,1 and its storage and transmission security. From the provider perspective, user-generated content is a lucrative commodity and can be used for various commercial and medical purposes. The problem with HSNSs isn’t just that the privacy technology doesn’t exist but that system requirements aren’t formulated for the strong protection of personal data or aren’t implemented properly. Therefore, the most fundamental challenge to HSNS information privacy is “more system-related than technical.”14 However, several key system requirements can better ensure privacy.