Privacy by Design: improving data security with RFID15 May 2012
Healthcare providers are recognising the benefits of adopting
RFID technology into their operations. But widespread use of
RFID raises serious questions about data security and
confidentiality, and patient privacy and dignity. Healthcare
professionals need to understand the steps that can be taken to
mitigate potential threats to privacy using the Privacy by
Design approach, writes Dr Ann Cavoukian. Radio frequency
identification (RFID) is a wireless technology that uses radio
frequency signals to transmit and receive data from RFID 'tags'
to tag readers, allowing remote identification. This information
technology can automate manual processes, and results in new
forms of data collection and processing. An RFID system is
typically composed of: - RFID tags that contain a unique set of
characters, like a serial number - RFID readers that can be
wireless handheld or fixed devices - a communications
infrastructure, including middleware, that permits