Published 18-12-24
Submitted by Keysight Technologies
The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing healthcare, including patient care, health records management, telemedicine, hospital operations, monitoring health and drug discovery. However, with technological advancements comes a series of important considerations and challenges regarding data security.
Role of AI in healthcare for medical imaging, diagnosis and prevention applications
AI machine learning and deep learning tools can analyze large amounts of medical data to identify patterns, predict outcomes, and improve diagnostic accuracy.
In medical imaging, AI algorithms help analyze X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, improving diagnostic speed while reducing human errors.(1)
AI’s ability to analyze large amounts of patient data, including symptoms, medical history, and genetic information, also enables more accurate and efficient diagnoses. It can identify complex patterns that may be difficult for human doctors to spot, leading to earlier detection and better accuracy in disease prediction. (2)
AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots offer fundamental medical information, respond to patient inquiries, assess symptoms, and facilitate 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 efficiency.
However, the growing 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 put sensitive information at risk, disrupt patient care, damage the reputation of healthcare providers, and lead to significant financial losses, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures in the healthcare sector. health.
The role of IoT in expanding diagnostic capabilities with wearable devices
Like AI, the use of IoT is growing in the healthcare sector. Home healthcare devices and wearable medical devices create a complementary network of medical devices using low-power mobile health monitoring technology that leverages existing electronic hardware.
These devices can capture large amounts of biometric data to advance preventative care. The sensors can measure a person’s heart rate, blood sugar, blood pressure, body movements, oxygen saturation and respiratory 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 reduces the number of hospital visits while improving access to care.
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) offers exciting new benefits to patients and healthcare providers. However, these devices, and the operational technology (OT) systems they connect to, provide an attack surface for cybercriminals.
AI and IoT: Improving Patient Outcomes but Requiring Improved Cybersecurity
The complementary capabilities of AI and IoT make it possible to collect more accurate biometric data and leverage that data to analyze large populations.
The large amount of data collected from the patient’s natural environment can provide a more comprehensive view of health, helping doctors understand the complex interactions between different biological systems. But with the rapid development of IoT in healthcare, cybersecurity challenges are also emerging.
Cybersecurity Challenges Related to AI and IoT
Network security risks are a big concern for 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, pushing organizations to adapt their security models.
The health sector has seen a notable resurgence of activity in recent years. Healthcare is a high-value target for cybercriminals due to the sensitivity of the data it processes. Data security breaches can result in the leak 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 2023 report (4), the average cost of a data breach has skyrocketed to a staggering $4.35 million, with breaches in the data industry health care amounting to $10.93 million. Additionally, the average cost of a data breach in the healthcare sector has increased by 53.3% over the past three years, highlighting the urgent need for advanced cybersecurity measures in this area.
With new threats emerging every day, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has emphasized the importance of monitoring and assessing cybersecurity risks for connected devices. As the landscape evolves, FDA recommends focusing on AI to improve cybersecurity.
Combat cyberthreats
Healthcare delivery and monitoring have improved significantly through the use of connected medical devices. However, many connected devices were not designed with security as a top priority and often serve as targeted entry points for attackers. A security platform that can discover these devices on your network and determine if they pose a threat is essential.
By setting up a dedicated service IoT Security Platformhealthcare facilities can continuously monitor device activity. The platform alerts responsible parties of any suspicious behavior in real time, helping them respond more quickly to potential security incidents.
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 device deployment.
Future Role of AI in Healthcare Cybersecurity
Integrating AI into healthcare cybersecurity will redefine patient data protection. As AI technology evolves, it will improve threat detection, reducing false positives and providing accurate alerts. Automating routine security tasks will allow engineers to focus on more complex security challenges and cover a broader spectrum of cyberattacks.
The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals will persist, even as AI takes on more routine tasks, but these experts will move into strategic roles, handling more complex security incidents and engaging in proactive threat hunting. Unfortunately, the dual nature of AI means that cybercriminals will also exploit AI’s capabilities and be able to launch more sophisticated attacks, requiring the cybersecurity community to stay one step ahead.
In healthcare, where data sensitivity is high, the role of AI in strengthening cybersecurity will be essential. It promises an adaptive security framework that can evolve with the ever-changing threat landscape, ensuring the security 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, the 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 mission-critical applications, they become even more attractive targets. Device vendors now need to rethink cybersecurity across the entire product lifecycle.
It is no longer enough for manufacturers to rely on open source or makeshift in-house tools to defend against advanced hacker groups. Instead, they must implement proven, integrated, automated solutions that protect their devices against cyberattacks.
References：
- https://ihf-fih.org/news-insights/artificial-intelligence-and-cybersecurity-in-healthcare/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352914822000545?viewFullText=true
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9972597
- https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach
Keysight Technologies
Keysight Technologies
At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we provide industry-leading design, emulation and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the product lifecycle. We are a global innovation partner enabling customers in the communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more about the Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com.
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