With joint funding from AustCyber, award-winning Australian cyber security company Haventec has launched eConsent for Genomics, which will innovate how patients and doctors access and share sensitive health data.
Due to the pandemic, health and medical sectors across Australia have experienced tremendous technological advancements with the accelerated adoption of eHealth and Telehealth. These innovations, however, have introduced increased vulnerabilities to the privacy and security of sensitive health data.
AustCyber’s CEO, Michelle Price says, “In Australia’s Digital Trust report, published in 2020 by AustCyber, we identified the risks and opportunities of digitising the health sector – including an overview of the vulnerabilities shifting to online health services would create, but also the open space to develop cyber security measures to protect all Australians.
“Now more than ever, health providers are relying on digital channels. Through Haventec’s eConsent for Genomics project, there’s a new reality where individuals have complete control over how their sensitive health data is used and shared, without compromising their right to privacy.”
Developed over the last 12-months, the eConsent for Genomics platform leverages the power of Haventec’s decentralised storage and authentication products - Sanctum and Authenticate - with a powerful consent capability that gives patients complete control of who can access their data, and the ability to give, and remove, consent to medical professionals. The solution will be rolled out nationally to the 23Strands network.
Mark Grosser the CEO of 23Strands, who has operated in healthcare technology for over 20 years, said, “Working with genomics we are well-aware of the high stakes in consumer data protection and storage. Genomic data tells the story of a person’s past, present and future which deserves the best protection technology and innovation can possibly facilitate. Before a solution like Haventec, the effort and know-how required to provide access to, and protection of a patient’s precious data was immense.”
“The healthcare industry is constantly handling sensitive information and providers know better than anyone that data needs to be treated carefully to foster trust in a provider-patient relationship,” says David Maunsell, CEO of Haventec. “23Strands needed a solution which protected the genomic data and digital identities of their patients but didn’t take away from the consumer experience of their platform.”
“Haventec’s patented technology empowers users to own and control their identity and personal data, while protecting them from vulnerabilities that organisations spend millions trying to protect. Our decentralised e-consent platform is delivering a world-class experience that enables users to securely share their personal and sensitive health information, and enables providers to store that information in a highly secure and compliant way,” Maunsell added.
Haventec’s solutions have recently been recognised in 2021 as the best emerging cyber security innovation at the Australian Technologies Competition and InnovationAus Awards for Excellence.
