Why do hackers love bitcoin? Blockchain. And why are healthcare, IoT liking blockchain?

July 16, 2016 | by

Hackers love bitcoin for their ransomware payment because it’s virtual money, impossible to trace and encrypted to the n-th degree. Technically, bitcoin is not a transfer of payment–it IS money of the unregulated sort. The ransomee has to pay into a bitcoin exchange and then deliver the payment to the hacker. However, what sounds straightforward is actually fraught with risks, such as the bitcoin exchanges themselves as targets of hacking and the fluctuations of bitcoin value meaning that a ransom may not actually be paid in full. ID Experts‘ article gives the basics of bitcoin, what to expect and when paying a ransom is the prudent thing to do.

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/blockchain-in-HC.jpg” thumb_width=”200″ /]Turn what is behind bitcoin around though, and it becomes intriguing to HIT and IoT. Blockchain is “a distributed, secure transaction ledger that uses open-source technology to maintain data. Records are shared and distributed over many computers of entities that do not know each other; records can be time-stamped and signed using a private key to prevent tampering.” Each record block has an identifying hash that links each block into a virtual chain. (Wikipedia has a more complete description.) For bitcoin, it ensures security, anonymity and transferability without a central bank. For healthcare, distributed data and security is the exact opposite of the highly centralized, locked down approach of standard HIT to enable interoperability and security (left above). The Federal ONC-HIT (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) under HHS is soliciting up to 15 proposals for “Blockchain and Its Emerging Role in Healthcare and Health-related Research.” through July 29. Cash prizes range from $1,500 to $5,000. The final eight will present at the awards presentation September 26-27. Potential uses are:

  • Medical banking between dis-intermediated parties
  • Distributed EHRs
  • Inventory management
  • Forming a research “commons” and a remunerative model for data sharing
  • Identity verification for insurance purposes
  • An open “bazaar” for services that accommodates transparency in pricing

Health Data Management, Information Management, Federal Register announcement

NJ Innovation Institute gains $49 million HHS grant

October 2, 2015 | by

The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), a New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) corporation, has been selected as one of 39 health care collaborative networks participating in a Health and Human Services (HHS) program, the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative. According to their announcement, NJII was selected as a Practice Transformation Network and over four years will receive up to $49.6 million for technical assistance support to help equip 11,500 clinicians in the New Jersey region with tools, information, and network support needed to improve quality of care. This is part of a $685 million HHS program awarding grants to 39 national and regional health care networks to help equip more than 140,000 clinicians with the tools and support needed to improve quality of care, increase patients’ access to information, and reduce costs. This is in addition to an $2.9 million grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC-HIT) announced in August for sharing of quality data through its New Jersey Health Information Network (NJHIN). Through its Innovation Labs (iLabs), NJII brings NJIT expertise to key economic sectors, including healthcare delivery systems, bio-pharmaceutical production, civil infrastructure, defense and homeland security, and financial services. Release via Ridgewood Patch, HHS release. Hat tip to contributor Sarianne Gruber via LinkedIn.