Security Threat Posed by USB-Based Personal Health Records

Background: USB (universal serial bus)–based personal health records enable patients to easily transport their health histories to physicians for review. These small, handheld devices (sometimes called “thumb drives” or “flash drives”) contain a database to store personal health information and a software program to display and edit the contents of the database. They are rapidly gaining popularity (1) and have drawn the attention of the popular press (2) and U.S. Congress (3). Recently, they were distributed to Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans as part of the city's Health Recovery Week (4). These devices sell for less than $100 and are often given …