Contributed Commentary By George Brostoff

October 6, 2017 | Unless you were living off the grid on an island somewhere, you heard all the recent hoopla about the new Apple iPhone X and its much touted 3D face scanning recognition capability. Questions, of course, are swirling around. How accurate is it really? Where is the data actually stored (on the phone they say)? The inevitable “does it distinguish between identical twins” issue comes up, as well as how do you let someone else access the device if you are incapacitated or unable, whether it’s your maiden Aunt Betty or the FBI.

As a longtime advocate of 3D face recognition technology—I have been involved in securing seven patents in this area over the past decade—I am cautiously optimistic that we have crossed a line into a new world of simple and virtually transparent authentication. There are huge implications for benefits to healthcare and the management of data for doctors, patients, and payers.

I believe 3D facial recognition is going to become the defacto standard for authenticating users on mobile devices. It is going to allow all players in the healthcare ecosystem to breathe easier when it comes to collecting and managing sensitive data or even identify patients.

3D facial recognition uses 3D cameras and sensors to create a set of data points capturing depth and contours of the eyes, nose, and mouth. It cannot be fooled by a picture or even a mask. It is virtually spoof proof. Some 3D Face authentication solutions use advanced invisible illumination technology that allows them to operate in the darkness or brightest lighting.

Apple has historically established the benchmark for these kinds of advances in technology, and I believe other smartphone and device makers will have no choice but to follow suit. As a result, adoption of fast and secure transparent authentication methods based on 3D facial recognition will be driven broadly into healthcare IT solutions, such as access to medical records, lab results, patient data portals, and patient ID confirmation.

One of the most important issues facing all organizations today and especially healthcare—from hospitals to medical schools to biopharma companies—is data security. This is exacerbated by the industry’s move to paperless systems, with the increasing deployment of Electronic Medical Records solutions. Based on these trends, millions of digital records are potentially unprotected and susceptible to possible security issues.

According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, in 2017 more than 83% of doctors use EMR systems. One of the biggest challenges that these digital files face is providing efficient access with security measures that protect patient data while complying with HIPAA guidelines.

Passwords and existing security protocols simply aren’t good enough to ensure HIPAA compliance, especially with the increasing use of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. What is needed is an approach that ensures that only authorized users of mobile devices can see private medical information as needed. That’s where 3D face recognition technology can make a big difference.

3D facial recognition represents a major breakthrough compared to existing PC and mobile security solutions that healthcare IT has had to deal with to date. Fingerprint scanners have been spoofed by Gummy Bears. Samsung’s much hyped 2D face recognition solution was hacked by a blogger holding up a picture taken with another smartphone. Research indicates it takes less than 50 milliseconds for a hacker to crack your PIN and access your device. More importantly, all these existing methods require you to touch or type to get access. A properly implemented 3D face authentication solution requires only your standard interaction with the device.

This is where 3D face scanning authentication can play a critical role in preventing hacks, external data breaches and even minimizing the risk of improper access to information by people who are already on the system—extrusion hacks. While large-scale data breaches get all the attention, security problems are often caused by local users not external hackers. 3D facial recognition can play a role mitigating risk in this area as well. The device transparently and automatically adapts to whoever is using it, in milliseconds. Security is now a convenience improvement! Equally important, it can immediately secure the identity record or change profiles the instant a different person’s face comes into view.

I am excited about looking at the newest devices—pun intended—and watching the creative ways the healthcare community will be using the tremendous potential of 3D facial recognition technology. Imagine fast, secure access to apps, patient data, enrollment and plan information, payer accounts, data about claims. All of these interactions will be much safer and easier. And everyone in the broader healthcare ecosystem will be able to potentially breathe a deep sigh of relief knowing they can now quickly and securely access their data.