Why your health records should be end-to-end encrypted
What "encrypted" really means for a health app, the difference end-to-end encryption makes, and five questions to ask before you trust one.
Almost every health app says it's "secure" and "encrypted". Those words can mean very different things. For something as personal as your lab results, the difference matters — so here's what to look for, in plain language.
Three kinds of "encrypted"
- Encrypted in transit
- The connection between your phone and the company is protected (the padlock in your browser). Nearly every website does this. It stops someone on your Wi-Fi from snooping — but the company receives your data in readable form.
- Encrypted at rest
- The company encrypts its own disks or database. This protects against someone stealing a hard drive. But the company holds the keys, so its systems — and anyone who gets into them — can still read your data.
- End-to-end encrypted
- Your data is locked on your own device with a key only you have, before it's sent anywhere. The company stores only the locked version and never has the key. It can't read your data — and neither can anyone who breaks into its servers.
Think of renting a storage box. With "encryption at rest", the storage company locks the box for you and keeps a copy of the key. With end-to-end encryption, you put your own lock on the box at home, and the company only ever holds the locked box.
Why it matters for health records
- Health data is permanent. You can change a leaked password; you can't change your medical history.
- Breaches happen. Even careful companies get hacked. With end-to-end encryption, stolen data is unreadable.
- Companies change. Owners, policies and business models change over time. Data a company can't read can't be sold, mined or handed over in readable form.
- Fewer people involved. No employee, contractor or hosting provider can browse your results.
The honest trade-offs
End-to-end encryption isn't free of downsides, and a trustworthy app tells you so:
- Forgotten passwords are harder. If the company can't read your data, it also can't reset access to it. Good apps give you a recovery key — a spare key you keep safe — and are clear that losing both means the data is gone.
- Some information still has to be visible to run the service: usually your email address, your plan, and basic facts such as how many records you have. A good app lists exactly what it can see.
- Your device matters. Your data is unlocked on your own phone or computer, so keeping that device secure is part of the picture.
Five questions to ask any health app
- Can your staff read my results? With end-to-end encryption, the honest answer is "no".
- Where is my data encrypted, and who holds the key? Look for "on your device" and "only you".
- What exactly can you see? There should be a clear, specific list.
- What happens if I forget my password? If they can simply reset it and show you your data, they can read it too.
- Can I get all my data out? You should be able to download a complete copy at any time, free.
How SECURECORDS answers them
Every result you save in SECURECORDS — the value, the date, your notes, even which tests you track — is encrypted on your device before it's sent. We never receive your password or your key, so we can't read your records. Our Security page explains how it works in everyday words and lists exactly what we can see. Forgotten passwords are covered by a recovery key that only you keep, and a complete download of your data is included on every plan, including Free.
The best way to understand it is to try it: the live demo is a real encrypted account with made-up data, unlocked right in your browser.