AI and IoT Cybersecurity Considerations for Healthcare – CSRwire

The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) is revolutionizing healthcare, particularly in patient care, health records management, telemedicine, hospital operations, health monitoring, and drug discovery. However, with technology advancement comes a series of important considerations and challenges around data security.

AI Role in Healthcare for Medical Imaging, Diagnosis, and Prevention Applications

AI’s machine learning and deep learning tools can analyze vast amounts of medical data to identify patterns, predict outcomes, and enhance the accuracy of diagnoses.

In medical imaging, AI algorithms assist in analyzing X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, improving diagnostic speed while reducing human error.[1]

AI’s capability to analyze extensive amounts of patient data, including symptoms, medical history, and genetic information, also enables more precise and efficient diagnoses. It can identify complex patterns that may be challenging to spot for human doctors, leading to earlier detection and better accuracy in disease prediction. [2]

AI-driven virtual assistants and chatbots offer fundamental medical information, address patient inquiries, assess symptoms, and aid in appointment scheduling and medication reminders. They enhance patient engagement, improve access to healthcare, and help improve the patient experience by optimizing healthcare staff workload and increasing staff efficiency.

However, the increased reliance on digital infrastructure for these advancements exposes the healthcare sector to cyber threats. The value of patient records, research data, and medical technology makes healthcare organizations prime targets for cybercriminals. Cybersecurity breaches can jeopardize sensitive information, disrupt patient care, damage healthcare providers’ reputations, and result in significant financial losses, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures in healthcare.

IoT’s Role in Expanding Diagnostic Capabilities with Wearables

Similarly to AI, IoT use is spreading in healthcare. Home healthcare devices and medical wearables create a complementary network of medical devices using low-power mobile health monitoring technology that leverages existing electronic hardware.

These devices can capture vast amounts of biometric data to advance preventive care. Sensors can measure a person’s heart rate, blood glucose, blood pressure, body movement, oxygen saturation, and respiration rate, supporting the development of a comprehensive health assessment.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^® technologies enable these devices to transmit data to healthcare providers in real time, enabling remote patient monitoring and helping to ensure treatment compliance. This helps reduce the number of hospital visits while improving access to healthcare.

The internet of medical things (IoMT) provides exciting new benefits for patients and healthcare providers. However, these devices, along with the operational technology (OT) systems they connect to, constitute an attack surface for cybercriminals.

AI and IoT: Enhancing Patient Outcomes but Requiring Improved Cybersecurity

The complementary capabilities of AI and IoT enable the collection of more accurate biometric data and allow this data to be leveraged to analyze large populations.

The large amount of data collected in the patient’s natural environment can provide a more comprehensive view of health, helping physicians understand the complex interactions between different biological systems. But with the rapid development of IoT in healthcare, cybersecurity challenges are emerging as well.

Cybersecurity Challenges from AI and IoT

Network security risks are of great concern to the healthcare industry. IoT devices connected to hospital networks often lack active management and protection, making them easy entry points for attackers. [3] With connected medical devices and remote employees, concerns about exfiltration and ransomware attacks are increasing, driving organizations to adapt their security models.

The healthcare sector has witnessed a notable surge in activity in recent years. Healthcare is a high-value target for cybercriminals due to the sensitivity of the data it is handling. Data security breaches can lead to the leakage of personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI).

As a result, healthcare data breaches are costly. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 [4], the average cost of a data breach has skyrocketed to a staggering $4.35 million, with healthcare breaches standing at a daunting $10.93 million. Furthermore, the average cost of a data breach in the healthcare sector has increased by 53.3% over the past three years, emphasizing the urgent need for advanced cybersecurity measures in this domain.

With new threats emerging every day, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has underlined the importance of monitoring and assessing cybersecurity risks for connected devices. As the landscape evolves, the FDA recommends focusing on AI to enhance cybersecurity.

Combating Cyber Threats

Healthcare delivery and monitoring have improved greatly with the use of connected medical devices. However, many connected devices have not been designed with security as the top priority and are often targeted points of entry for attackers. A security platform that can discover these devices on your network and determine if they pose a threat is essential.

By implementing a dedicated IoT security platform, healthcare organizations can monitor device activity continuously. The platform alerts responsible parties of suspicious behavior in real time, helping them respond to potential security incidents sooner.

In addition to real-time monitoring of connected medical devices, healthcare organizations can greatly benefit from security assessment tools used during the validation and verification phases of the product development process. These tools provide a proactive approach to identifying vulnerabilities before devices are deployed.

Future Role of AI in Cybersecurity for Healthcare

The integration of AI in healthcare cybersecurity will redefine patient data protection. As AI technology evolves, it will enhance threat detection, reducing false positives and providing precise alerts. The automation of routine security tasks will allow engineers to focus on more complex security challenges and help them cover a broader spectrum of cyberattacks.

The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals will persist, even as AI takes on more routine duties, but these experts will shift to strategic roles, addressing more intricate security incidents and engaging in proactive threat hunting. Unfortunately, the dual nature of AI means that cybercriminals will exploit AI capabilities too and be able to launch more sophisticated attacks, making it imperative for the cybersecurity community to stay ahead.

In healthcare, where data sensitivity is high, AI’s role in fortifying cybersecurity will be critical. It promises an adaptive security framework that can evolve with the ever-changing threat landscape, ensuring the safety and privacy of patient information.

Conclusion

AI and IoT are revolutionizing healthcare through improved diagnostics, medical imaging, drug discovery, and patient engagement. Medical wearables and IoT devices enhance healthcare capabilities by capturing biometric data and transmitting it to providers in real time.

However, increased reliance on these technologies also exposes the healthcare sector to cyber threats, making it a prime target for cybercriminals due to the value of patient records and research data.

Without adequate security, connected medical devices become vulnerable entry points for attackers. As IoT and AI expand into critical applications, they become even more attractive targets. Device vendors must now rethink cybersecurity across the entire product lifecycle.

It is no longer enough for manufacturers to rely on makeshift open-source or in-house tools to defend themselves against advanced hacker groups. Instead, they must implement proven, integrated, and automated solutions that protect their devices against cyberattacks.

References：

1. https://ihf-fih.org/news-insights/artificial-intelligence-and-cybersecurity-in-healthcare/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352914822000545?viewFullText=true
3. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9972597
4. https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach

Keysight Technologies

Keysight Technologies

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