Heath care device security
The advancements coming in the technological arena are making its way to the health care industry. The health care professionals are now expecting a steep increase in the demand for advanced security measures to protect health care data. These devices curate large amount of sensitive data every day either by facility-based devices or home devices. Thus it demands more security measures within the health care industry.
Among all the newest technologies, the most important is adoption of IoT devices hitting the market equipped with Internet capabilities. This trend of Internet of Things (IoT) will continue to grow in the health care industry.
About IoT and its influence
The connection of multiple devices to the Internet allows the health care devices to communicate with the medical staff, doctors and patients to make life easier. It is important for health care professionals whose work save lots of lives every day. This technology trend is expected to have huge impacts on how patients, medical staffs and other medical centers interact with the rest of the world. IoT solutions are expected to evolve and change the face of medical industry in the coming years. Nevertheless, before health care industry can involve itself into the world of IoT devices, they need to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages that can come with this technological investment.
Some IoT devices are used for more convenience of medical facility management, while others are used for patient care. The health care industry is still exercising on protecting private information. Here are some strengths and shortcomings that the health care industry should think about before adopting IoT solutions:
Role of IoT in Health care device security
eScan team explores few possibilities of health care device security breaches that can happen due to IoT adoptions in many health care organizations. Here is a glimpse of few of them
Convenient features
Investment in health care IoT solutions eases the workload more efficiently. In order to organize files, working on diagnosis of patients or even ordering coffee from coffee machine, IoT devices can save lots of facility time spent everyday. The medical staffs might no more require to do the monotonous task of ordering the medicine, other supplies and even keeping a track of the inventory. Adopting IoT solutions can maintain the quality of health care facility service and desired uniformity in the tasks.
Compatibility issues
There might be compatibility challenges between the medical devices and IoT solutions after the purchase of IoT capable devices from different manufacturers. Till the time an International Standard of compatibility is established, health care industry may choose to purchase IoT products from a single manufacturer to avoid these compatibility issues.
Personalization capacities
IoT devices have the ability to customize all medical data that is generated every day in the health care industry. Health care professionals have the chance to personalize the accumulated data because IoT devices are able to communicate with each other. It is easier since it creates an overall environment of consistency in the medical facilities.
Security threats
After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages in the above discussed IoT technology, the main risk lies in the vulnerability of the devices towards security threats. Now these devices can track almost everything like the number of footsteps taken or even the effects of stress. With lots of health care devices connected to the Internet and continuously creating data and storing the personal information, there are many loopholes available for the hackers to get access to the information and the health care facility might suffer a security breach.
The time is not far when Ransomware attack can cancel X-ray sessions, postpone operation appointments, disrupt MRI scanner or even stop ECG tests. Thus hospitals are forced to take immediate action so that medical treatment is not delayed and patients’ data is kept safe. As the health care industry is gearing up to invest in IoT Technology, it is important to facilitate the search for devices that have integrated security systems and can prevent data breach.
More read on Internet of Things (IoT) Devices Could Put Users And Their Data At Risk
