Health App Security: What You Should Look For

Your health data is sensitive. When you trust it to an app, you're trusting that company to protect it properly. But how do you evaluate security when you're not a security expert?

Here are the key security features to look for in a health app.

Data Encryption

In Transit

When data moves between your device and the app's servers, it should be encrypted. This is standard practice (HTTPS) and expected from any modern app.

What to look for: The app should use HTTPS for all connections. This is table stakes.

At Rest

Data stored on servers should also be encrypted. Even if someone gains physical access to a server, encrypted data remains protected.

What to look for: Statement in privacy policy or security documentation that data is encrypted at rest.

End-to-End (E2E)

Some apps offer end-to-end encryption, where data is encrypted on your device and only you hold the keys. The company can't read your data even if compelled.

What to look for: Explicit claims about E2E encryption and who holds decryption keys.

Note: E2E encryption limits some features — for example, server-side AI processing may not be possible. There's a tradeoff between privacy and functionality.

Authentication

Strong Password Requirements

The app should require secure passwords and reject weak ones.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

The option to require a second factor (SMS code, authenticator app) adds significant security.

What to look for: MFA should be available, ideally using authenticator apps rather than just SMS.

Biometric Options

On supported devices, fingerprint or face recognition provides convenient, secure access.

Session Management

Good apps allow you to see and terminate active sessions, log out remotely, and set session timeouts.

Access Controls

Who Can See Your Data?

Within the company, who has access to user data? Best practice is limiting access to those who genuinely need it.

What to look for: Statements about access controls and employee access limitations.

Third-Party Access

What third parties have access to your data? Sub-processors, cloud providers, analytics tools?

What to look for: Clear disclosure of third parties and what data they receive.

Data Protection Location

Server Location

Where are servers located? EU servers have different legal protections than US servers.

What to look for: Specific country, not just "secure data centers."

Jurisdiction

What laws apply to your data? Data in the EU is subject to GDPR. Data in the US is subject to different (often weaker) protections.

Cloud Provider

Which cloud provider hosts the data? Major providers (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) have strong security, but are also US companies subject to US law.

What to look for: Disclosure of cloud providers and any EU-specific hosting choices.

Incident Response

Breach Notification

If a breach occurs, will you be notified promptly? GDPR requires notification within 72 hours for significant breaches.

Security Audits

Are there regular security assessments? Third-party penetration testing?

What to look for: Statements about security audits, SOC 2 certification, or similar.

Bug Bounty

Some companies run bug bounty programs, paying security researchers to find vulnerabilities. This indicates security maturity.

Red Flags

Watch for:

No security documentation. If a company doesn't discuss security, they may not take it seriously.

Vague claims. "Bank-level security" without specifics is marketing, not information.

No MFA option. In 2026, lack of MFA is a significant gap.

Unclear data location. Reluctance to say where data is stored.

No incident history disclosure. Perfect security doesn't exist. Mature companies disclose past incidents and how they responded.

Questions to Ask

Before trusting a health app with your data:

1. Is data encrypted in transit and at rest?
2. Is multi-factor authentication available?
3. Where are servers physically located?
4. Which cloud providers are used?
5. What third parties have access to data?
6. Are there regular security audits?
7. What's the breach notification process?

The Healthbase Approach

Security is foundational at Healthbase:

EU data storage. All data in Germany.

Encryption. Data encrypted in transit and at rest.

Authentication. MFA available; strong password requirements.

Limited access. Strict internal access controls.

No US dependencies. We don't route health data through US cloud providers.

GDPR compliance. Full compliance with Europe's data protection requirements.

Your health data deserves serious security. Ask hard questions before trusting any app with it.