Security and Privacy Issues with IoT in Healthcare

Abstract

In healthcare, the Internet of Things (IoT) offers many benefits, including being able to monitor patients more closely and using data for analytics. When it comes to IoT for medical device integration, the focus is shifted towards the consumer end, such as glucose meters, blood pressure cuffs, and other devices designed to record data on patient vital signs. This enables healthcare providers to automatically collect information and apply decision support rules to allow for earlier intervention in the treatment process. Unfortunately, medical companies often do not consider the security risks of connecting these devices to the internet. There is a possibility that a zero-day exploit in a medical device can be used to injure or even kill someone without being detected. The rise in hackable medical devices has forced the FDA to issue formal guidance on how medical device makers should handle reports about cyber vulnerabilities. This paper aims to explore the role of IoT in healthcare, vulnerabilities, attacks, and security issues and solutions.