<div><h4 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">What Is IoMT (Internet of Medical Things)?</h4><o:p></o:p>The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is an integrated infrastructure of the healthcare systems and services to medical devices and software applications that transmit real-time data through a network of technologies. The IoMT is a subcategory of the Internet of Things (IoT).<o:p></o:p>IoMT brings together the patient, doctors, and caregivers by providing data and processes that enable the caregiver to deliver efficient patient support through connected medical devices, biometric monitors, and smart devices, and wearables.<o:p></o:p>With the challenge to better serve patients and reducing expenses, IoMT can be the game-changer by streamlining processes and ultimately lowering costs.<o:p></o:p>The healthcare industry has joined the digitalization bandwagon over the last few years, and COVID-19 has necessitated faster adaption of the technology. COVID-19 brought about the need for more connected medical devices and smart monitoring. Many manufacturers of medical devices came out with smart integrated medical devices, which helped the hospital systems, healthcare providers, and governments save lives by early detection of pathogens and providing appropriate patient care.<o:p></o:p><h4 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">The Potential of IoMT in Healthcare</h4><o:p></o:p>The IoMT has benefited the healthcare industry in many ways, right from convenience to the patient receiving treatment to hospitals and medical practitioners providing patient care.<o:p></o:p>An article in the <a href="https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/internet-of-things-iot-in-healthcare-market-102188" style="color: blue;">Fortune Business Insights</a> states, “The global Internet of Things in healthcare market size was USD 71.84 in 2020. Based on our analysis, the global market exhibited a significant growth of 24.1% in 2020 compared to the average year-on-year growth during 2017-2019. The market is projected to grow from USD 89.07 billion in 2021 to USD 446.52 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 25.9% during the 2021-2028 period.”<o:p></o:p>Some of the advantages brought about by the IoMT are its more accurate diagnosis &amp; prognosis, fewer errors, better patient care, and significantly reduced treatment costs.<o:p></o:p>Hospitals and clinics have readily embraced the IoMT as it is more cost-efficient and improves the quality of patient care. The technology allows medical practitioners to monitor patients remotely, and with any changes in medical parameters, the medical staff is alerted and can take the appropriate corrective measures.<o:p></o:p>The introduction of medical devices in the healthcare industry played a significant role in diagnosing and preventive treatment of chronic illnesses. These assistive medical devices have eased the burden of physicians, giving them more time to focus on patient treatment. The integration of IoT in devices like scanners, x-ray machines, MRI machines, etc allows early detection and treatment of potentially fatal conditions like cancer, heart conditions, and many more diseases.<o:p></o:p><h4 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">Security Concerns of IoMT:</h4><o:p></o:p>Like any device connected to a network, IoMT is also vulnerable to cybersecurity threats to medical devices. Patient health and information are at risk when smart devices get hacked and crumble the healthcare system infrastructure.<o:p></o:p>Some of the security concern points are:<o:p></o:p>Endpoint Security: IoMT devices are generally not designed to keep security in mind; hence medical devices are defenseless against hackers as they lack a robust firewall and mostly use default passwords. Hackers gain easy access to these devices and perform unauthorized manipulations to the device software. The lack of security can lead to failure to comply with HIPAA regulations, data manipulation, and loss of Patient Health Information (PHI). MedTech companies need to develop anti-malware mechanics to protect devices from spyware and Trojan attacks.<o:p></o:p>Communication Security: Mobile apps and smart telehealth devices use VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) for audio and video communication for doctor-patient interaction. They carry vital signs of the patient from smart devices to the hospital network. These data can be intercepted by hackers and be compromised.<o:p></o:p><h4 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">Different IoMT Attack Types</h4><o:p></o:p><ol><li>Side-channel: A side-channel attack indirectly exploits security by monitoring the electromagnetic activity around a medical device.</li><li>Tag cloning: Duplication of gathered data for unauthorized access to confidential patient information.</li><li>Tampering devices: Physically tampering with sensors to manipulate functioning by exploiting firmware vulnerabilities to install malware and then take control of the device.</li><li>Sensor tracking: Attack of patient monitoring devices that have GPS sensors that send information to doctors and steal or send inaccurate data.</li><li>Replay: Reuse of previously exchanged authenticating message to hack a device.</li><li>Rogue access: Interception of traffic by installing forged gateway within wireless network range.</li><li>Cross-Site request forgery (CSRF): Tricking end-user using vulnerable applications.</li><li>Brute force: Using trial and error and guessing login info hackers gain access to IoMT devices.</li></ol><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><h4 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">Applications of IoMT:</h4><o:p></o:p><ol><li>Hospitals and Clinics IoMT devices are increasingly used in hospitals and clinics to improve healthcare quality and reduce cost and time. Some examples are X-ray machines and CT scans. Also, smart apps are used for patient monitoring and connecting patients and doctors. </li><li>Home and remote areas Telemedicine enables Remote Patient Monitoring for patients with severe illnesses and avoiding frequent doctor visits. These devices can monitor glucose levels, blood pressure, heart rates and automatically alert the doctors. </li><li>On-the-Body/wearable devices Biosensors are used in making wearable medical devices that are embedded into apparel or attached to the skin to monitor patient health parameters. </li><li>Patient Information Management IoMT helps store useful information like a patient’s past medical history, family history, and personal information (contact details blood group, insurance details), which are easily accessible to the healthcare providers at the time of treatment. The technology also enables medical practitioners to monitor real-time patient’s vital parameters so the course of treatment can be altered based on the patient’s response to the line of treatment. </li><li>Inventory management The use of automation in inventory management systems in the inventory of medical supplies (storage, application, demand, orders and inspection) ensures effective utilization of resources by reducing time, effort, documentation, and money. It also helps monitor the stock of medical supplies, healthcare support supplies, locating hospital equipment like stretchers, wheelchair and other assets, making smooth functioning of hospital processes. </li><li>Research and analysis With a large amount of patient information easily available on cloud servers, it makes analysis and research work easy and in a reduced period. The analysis of the available data sets is valuable as they help take preventive measures, improved treatment, and develop more effective drugs. Hospitals can make quicker informed decisions on treatment and minimize errors with the statistical report generated, thus improving thousands of lives.</li></ol><o:p></o:p><h4 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">Future of IoMT</h4><o:p></o:p>In the past, home visits were made by physicians to check on their patients. But today, we no longer need home visits. With the advancement in technology, and in particular, electronic and digital technology, telemedicine allows the healthcare practitioner to communicate with the patient requiring fewer hospital visits.<o:p></o:p>Frost &amp; Sullivan research indicates “growth of nearly 20-25% in-patient engagement management solutions in 2021 alone”. There is a demand for digital healthcare as patients are now accustomed to the convenience of their treatment.<o:p></o:p>Platforms Offering Digital Point-of-Care testing will play a substantial role in the future as they benefit from the leverage of machine learning (MI) and artificial intelligence (AI).<o:p></o:p>Connected Devices and IoT: Smart connected devices allow real-time patient’s data to be collected, processed, and shared with caregivers so they can address problems immediately. The demand for smart devices is on the rise as they play a significant role in the healthcare industry.<o:p></o:p>AR-VR Collaboration: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) tools are in the product development process with several software and hardware vendors collaborating to provide the best solution for patient and clinicians.<o:p></o:p>Biosensors and Wearables: Biosensors are emerging as a key technology because of their potential analytical tools used both in point-of-care diagnostics and wearable devices. They hold an advantage over traditional methods as they can predict variations in a patient’s clinical condition by analyzing the blood, sweat and other biological agents.<o:p></o:p><h4 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">Conclusion</h4><o:p></o:p>With the growth of the internet and medical devices, IoMT has transformed monitoring and controlling capabilities to accomplish higher standards of patient care. Wearable devices have reduced the burden of physicians and eased patients have embraced the use of these devices.<o:p></o:p>In the future, medical professionals can expect further simplification with further advancements in the IoMT, which will benefit the patients and the healthcare system.<o:p></o:p></div>

Johnson Cherian

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT): Game-Changing Technology for Healthcare Industry

REHAN HUSAIN

Blockchain Interoperability in Healthcare Industry

There was a time when healthcare was all about manual recordings and heavily reliant on the doctor?s opinion. Come 2021, and instead, the tables have turned. There hasn?t been another time in history where doctors and other healthcare practitioners are more reliant on technology to improve the lives of their patients. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) industry has connected healthcare with technology in one of the most ingenious manner. As per the Frost and Sullivan IoMT forecast to 2021 report, it?s expected that almost <a href="https://www.passionateinmarketing.com/iomt-devices-are-unsafe-to-cybersecurity-risk/">40 to 50 billion IoMT devices</a> will be part of the network by the end of the year. Right now, 48% of IoMT devices use mobility to connect to the cloud, and that <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/352668">number is expected to rise to 68%</a>, with most of them using artificial intelligence and machine learning to spear ahead.Given that the industry will only see a considerable boom year after year, many concerns are surrounding the IoMT technology in itself. With device security incidents involving data breaches and device misuse increasing with time, it?s high time we understand the risks associated with IoMT devices and what we can do to mitigate them.<h3 id="what-are-iomt-devices">What are IoMT Devices?</h3>Simply put, IoMT devices are those that improve the entire healthcare network and infrastructure. It?s very common to see that when these devices are spoken of, only those that help the patient are accounted for. But that?s far from reality. <a href="https://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/blog/IoT-Agenda/Understand-how-to-secure-IoMT-devices-against-cyberthreats">IoMT devices include both</a>?those that help patients and those that help healthcare providers. Examples include health monitors, lab devices, nurse calling monitors, sensors, controllers, and the like. The current forecast of the market for 2022 is $52.2 billion and is expected to rise as the years pass by. With its increasing impact on people?s lives, it won?t be surprising if it surpasses its forecasted valuation as well.Under IoMT again, there are <a href="https://securityintelligence.com/posts/iomt-security-a-comprehensive-approach-to-mitigate-risk-and-secure-connected-devices/">multiple classes</a>?Class I, Class II, and Class III. Class I includes non-invasive devices that post low to moderate risk to the patient, such as manual stethoscopes, enema devices, etc. Under Class II, we can include those that are invasive in nature and do post a moderate to high risk to the patient. Examples of those include air purifiers, infusion pumps, etc. Class III, better known as ?active devices,? literally helps the patient live. These could be your heart monitors, pacemakers, pulse generators, etc. With our increasing reliance on such devices, the concern of device security seems more real with time.<h3 id="risks-of-iomt-device-security">Risks of IoMT Device Security</h3>The main concern with IoMT devices is that a huge amount of personal data is being generated daily. With such intimate data being recorded and saved in cloud servers, device security is expected to be top-notch. Yet, that isn?t always the case. For example, the <a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/tech/lingering-impacts-from-wannacry-40-healthcare-organizations-suffered-from-attack-past-6-months">Wannacry ransomware attack in 2019</a> was deployed in over 150 countries affecting 300,000+ devices. Even a year after the cyberattack took place, Microsoft?s serves still continue to find vulnerabilities in such systems. If that isn?t horrifying enough, another attack, <a href="https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2020/02/what-makes-iomt-devices-so-difficult-secure-perfcon">Bluekeep took place in 2020</a> in the US, where a vulnerability in the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol service was exploited to steal medical records. Since these are deployed as worms that take over the system in the sneakiest of manners, it?s very hard to identify and fight them. The most concerning part is that patient medical records are valued at millions to the right stakeholder, and it?s just being sold like hotcakes. In most cases, hospitals have had to turn away patients because of such cybersecurity attacks.Here, we have nobody else to blame apart from ourselves. Most of these device security issues can be mitigated by employing simple defences. In 56% of most healthcare security breaches, it has been found that simple things such as using different passwords could?ve mitigated the whole issue altogether. That being said, deniability is the main source of these issues. Most organizations tend to be lax in their attitude towards IoMT device security, which is evident from the fact that only <a href="https://www.passionateinmarketing.com/iomt-devices-are-unsafe-to-cybersecurity-risk/">51% of device manufacturers in the U.S.</a> use Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations to protect their gadgets. The sheer lack of ignorance and accountability is costing people their lives.<h3 id="how-can-we-secure-iomt-devices">How Can We Secure IoMT Devices?</h3>Given all the risks and concerns that were put forward above, it?s reasonable to wonder whether or not we can completely protect ourselves from such cybersecurity attacks. It is a possibility with the right defence, such as those listed below:i. Comprehensive IoMT management: It?s very easy to forget about the basics because it seems so obvious. But most organizations are unaware of the complex network that they make use of. The first thing they must do is create a <a href="https://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/blog/IoT-Agenda/Understand-how-to-secure-IoMT-devices-against-cyberthreats">live inventory</a> for all their assets. It can include information about what devices are present, where they are present, what security gaps exist, etc.ii. High-end encryption: It goes without saying that encryption is key. Any data that is created, stored or even passed through the network must be encrypted. It reduces the likelihood of breaches, although that is highly dependent on how strong the encryption is, so make sure that it?s fool-proof.iii. Network segmentation: Segmentation is the simple process of <a href="https://www.mpo-mag.com/contents/view_online-exclusives/2021-03-23/5-ways-manufacturers-can-improve-iomt-device-security/">dividing the IoMT network with encryption</a> at each level of the network. This ensures that even though vulnerabilities might be present in one part of the network, the others aren?t affected. Only authorized users can access these networks and even their authorization levels can vary between different parts of the network.iv. Regular software updates: No network can be protected forever, no matter how much you encrypt and segment them. Eventually, the vulnerabilities will show, and they will need to fix. This is why it?s important to carry out regular penetration testing to see how vulnerable the current system is and fix any bugs or introduce new security features. <a href="https://www.mpo-mag.com/contents/view_online-exclusives/2021-03-23/5-ways-manufacturers-can-improve-iomt-device-security/">Data integrity is key</a> and an integral part of secure IoMT devices.v. Accountability: It?s always best to just admit it if there are any bugs or gaps in the network and fix them as soon as possible. No system is completely fool-proof but it can be managed well. For example, there are many vulnerabilities present in the Microsoft systems, but they continually identify and fix any gaps that they discover in their accountability testing.<h3 id="secure-iomt-devices-%E2%80%94-a-possibility">Secure IoMT Devices ? A Possibility?</h3>In short, it?s a yes and no. IoMT is the future of healthcare, and companies all across the world are jumping on the bandwagon. This also means that every single day, tons of data is being generated but not necessarily protected. Most cyberattacks also use existing vulnerabilities in such devices, making it virtually impossible to keep up with them. With more people becoming aware of the device?s security concerns, the general public could soon become risk-averse, drastically reducing its valuation over time. Securing IoMT devices can be a simple process yet, many organizations fail to implement the necessary precautions. It could be because they either don?t consider it an issue, don?t have the budget for it, or don?t have a strategy in place. It?s high time that they implement IoMT device security as a prime strategy in their development process because a life-saving device is only as good as its ability to save a life.

Top Writers

Get full access
for only $7/month.

Top Writers

Subscribe to Magazine

Get full access for only $7/month.

Get full access
for only $7/month.