Security Threats and Cryptographic Protocols for Medical Wearables

Luis Hernández-Álvarez,Araceli Queiruga-Dios,Farrah Kristel Batista,Juan José Bullón Pérez

doi:10.3390/math10060886

Luis Hernández-Álvarez, Araceli Queiruga-Dios + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/math10060886

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Journal: Mathematics	Publication Date: Mar 10, 2022
Citations: 9	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Spanish National Research Council

Abstract

In the past few years, the use of several medical devices is increasing. This paper will pay attention to a device developed to get measures of the temperature of diabetic foot. These wearables usually do not have cryptographic protocols to guarantee data security. This study analyzes the existing security in these devices, and simulate malware propagation taking into account the vulnerabilities and lack of security in these highly-constrained interconnected devices. A simulation of malware spreading in a network made by 10 and 15 individuals with 6 and 34 sensors each one, respectively, is included in this study. To avoid such attacks, a lightweight cryptographic protocol could be a satisfactory solution. Considering the quick development of quantum computers, several current cryptographic protocols have been compromised.

Highlights

In the past few years, “smart” objects and products have given rise to significant progress in industry production and its security
Communication protocols: most of the current wearable healthmonitoring systems (WHMS) transfer data to a database server or other electronic devices is done via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, and RF
Since the development of medical devices, wearables, and WHMS, several authors have claimed that security and privacy issues are not considered in the design and construction processes [29,44]

Summary

Introduction

In the past few years, “smart” objects and products have given rise to significant progress in industry production and its security. The so-called MagIC (Maglietta Interattiva Computerizzata) is a fabric-based wearable system that took measures of cardiorespiratory signals in individuals with heart problems This system was used on subjects in daily situations and collected results showed good quality data during most of the time. Portable health monitoring systems or wearables include WHMS, RHMS and/or MHMS These devices can be carried by patients in such a way that the sensors are integrated into clothing or accessory. A sock with sensors located in specific ROI is a wearable capable of sending data to an external device and create an alarm in case of ulceration development It is made up of conductive tissues that carry these measurements to a base station or sink.

Security in Medical Devices

Firmware Vulnerabilities

Communication Protocols

Applications and Sensors

Simulation of a Malware Attack against Medical Devices

Finalization

Discussion