Anyone can access the documents, including breast cancer screenings, spinal images, chest x-rays or cardiac pacemakers
Keystone
Highly sensitive medical data, including almost 200,000 pictures of patients in Switzerland, have ended up on unsecured servers, according to research. Worldwide, data from several million patients are affected.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/AFP/ts
Anyone with basic computer skills can access the documents, including breast cancer screenings, spinal images, chest x-rays or cardiac pacemakers, said German public broadcaster Bayerischer RundfunkExternal link on Tuesday based on the its research with US investigative news platform ProPublicaExternal link.
In Switzerland two systems with 1,500 patient data sets and a total of 197,000 images are affected, according to the report.
The images are high-resolution and contain a great deal of information, almost all of which is personal data: date of birth, first and last name, date of examination and information about the treating physician or the treatment itself.
“Unlike some of the more infamous recent security breaches, in which hackers circumvented a company’s cyber defenses, these records were often stored on servers that lacked the security precautions that long ago became standard for businesses and government agencies,” wrote ProPublica.
‘Irresponsible’
Worldwide, the scale is much larger, with servers all over the world left unprotected.
According to the report, 590 archive systems reveal 24.5 million data records. Patients from the United States are particularly affected.
Although ProPublica found no evidence that patient data was copied from these systems and published elsewhere, it said the consequences of unauthorised access to such information could be devastating.
“Medical records are one of the most important areas for privacy because they’re so sensitive. Medical knowledge can be used against you in malicious ways: to shame people, to blackmail people,” said Cooper Quintin, a security researcher and senior staff technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital-rights group.
“This is so utterly irresponsible,” he said.
More
More
Study warns of risks of wearable health trackers
This content was published on
Watches and armbands that measure various health metrics could lead to discrimination.
This content was published on
By 8am on Saturday, an 11-kilometre queue had formed at the Gotthard tunnel’s northern entrance, with drivers facing nearly two hours of delays.
Plant-based meat market in Switzerland set to grow to CHF361 million by 2030
This content was published on
Switzerland’s market for plant-based meat alternatives has a potential value of around CHF 242 million this year, though it remains a niche market.
This content was published on
The army is looking for a modern solution for its decommissioned fortress mortar bunkers, with plans to turn them into hardened defence hubs.
This content was published on
Spain ended Switzerland’s run in the Women’s Euros on Friday, but fans in Bern made history with the largest supporters’ march in Women’s Euros history.
This content was published on
Solar energy pioneer Raphaël Domjan and his team continued preparations for the altitude record attempt at 10,000 metres with the SolarStratos solar aircraft.
This content was published on
Cattle in the canton of Geneva and in the neighbouring region of Terre Sainte in the canton of Vaud are being vaccinated against the contagious viral skin nodule disease. The first cases of the animal disease were reported at the end of June in France, just outside Geneva.
Fewer attacks on Swiss ATMs but their future remains uncertain
This content was published on
Bank ATMs in Switzerland are less prone to attacks by criminals, but their future remains uncertain given the less active use of cash by the population.
This content was published on
A series of rockfalls occurred above the village of Brienz between 9 and 12 July. According to the municipality of Albula, the overall situation remains tense. Several people disregarded the ban on entering the area around the village.
This content was published on
Arosa Bergbahnen achieved the highest figure in its 95-year history in the 2024/25 financial year with net revenue of CHF 37 million. Arosa Lenzerheide was able to capitalise on strengths such as snow reliability and the size of the ski area in a long winter season, the company announced on Thursday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss companies razzed for bad data management
This content was published on
The Big Brother Awards for failure to protect client data have been announced, with several prominent Swiss institutions winning the uncoveted prizes.
Your employer might be watching you. Should you care?
This content was published on
The new wave of workplace data analytics is raising tough questions in Switzerland with its strong culture of trust and privacy.
This content was published on
Recent scandal of Cambridge Analytica using Facebook data has given impetus to projects designed to give people control of their private information.
This content was published on
Big data is about to bring a wealth of opportunities to Switzerland thanks to investments in research. Efforts are also underway to control the risks.
Swiss insurers offer discounts for sharing health data
This content was published on
Strict data protection laws in Switzerland have not dissuaded the first pioneers from testing the waters on participatory health data sharing. Currently, two companies – CSS and Swica – offer Swiss consumers the chance to lower their health insurance premiums by attaining physical activity goals monitored by wearable devices. CSS was the first to introduce…
This content was published on
He won 139 votes in a secret ballot in a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday. More than 50 parliamentarians came out against his nomination by the government last November. Addressing the media, Lobsiger said his role was to raise awareness of the risks and opportunities of the use…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.