We cannot ignore the impact that IoT has had in revolutionizing healthcare. Think of the fitness wearable devices and continuous glucose monitors that track and monitor your vitals. These devices use IoT to collect and send data without consuming massive data or power.
This technology allows healthcare providers to detect issues early and provide treatment plans before they become tragic. However, not all tech is 100% safe. IoT devices are the target of hackers who want to exploit weaknesses in the design to steal patient data for malicious purposes.
Below are risks and issues associated with healthcare IoT security along with best practices to mitigate these threats.
Data Integrity
According to this article from Empeek, maintaining data integrity is one of the major issues faced by healthcare IoT. Data has become valuable, and more people are willing to pay top dollar to acquire data obtained through dubious means.
IoT healthcare devices collect sensitive patient information like their name, age, and gender. The data is transmitted to data centers via the internet, making attractive targets for unethical hackers. A successful hack can lead to the leaking of sensitive patient information, compromising privacy and confidentiality.
Lack of Standardization
Standardization has become an issue with the influx of wearable fitness trackers and watches on the market. There have been complaints about some devices collecting inaccurate data. Also, some of these devices aren’t compliant with HIPAA regulations, putting customer privacy in jeopardy.
As a user, do your research before buying a fitness device, whether it’s a watch or glucose monitor. Read reviews from other buyers to learn more about the brand and its ethics. Avoid products from manufacturers with pending cases regarding misuse of client data.
Privacy Violations
Most IoT health products require patients to agree with the terms and conditions before registering to use the devices or apps. However, most users don’t read through the terms and conditions, which may have clauses waiving your privacy.
The big question is, who can access the data during transmission? There have been concerns with some users complaining that IoT healthcare product developers selling their data to marketing companies. The result is they later get bombarded with ads for healthcare products and services.
Fortunately, there are ways to make healthcare IoT products and services secure and beneficial. Here’s how.
Patching and Updates
Building a system that is 100% secure isn’t easy. However, software patches and updates can help cover existing security loopholes. Plugging any holes that can be exploited by hackers can make the app or device more secure.
Developers must also stay up-to-date with compliance regulations. The goal is to ensure that their devices aren’t exploited by healthcare providers who may want to take advantage of the data for malicious gains.
Strong Encryption
Encryption means that even if the hackers can get past the security barriers, the data and information collected will not be of much use. Strong encryption ensures that data integrity is kept at 100% even when breaches happen.
Encryption will protect patient data during transmission and storage. While you are at it, segmenting IoT healthcare devices into different networks can restrict access, preventing breaches from spreading to other critical systems.