threats and vulnerabilities healthcare
234737759
A Taxonomy of Blockchain Threats and Vulnerabilities
Blockchain technology has become one of the most popular technologies for maintaining digital transactions. From the foundation of Bitcoin to the now predominant smart contract, blockchain technology promises to induce a shift in thought about digital transactions in many fields, such as energy, healthcare, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, financial services and the supply chain. Despite blockchain technology offers many cryptography advantages such as immutability, digital signature and hashing; it has suffered from several critical cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. In this paper, we build upon the previous studies on vulnerabilities and investigates over 60 real cybersecurity incidents that have been happening on the blockchain networks between 2009 and 2019. We categorise those incidents against the key cybersecurity vulnerabilities in blockchain technologies; and have developed a taxonomy that captures five types of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities based on five main players in b lockchain. The outcome of this research prompted concerns and research direction in developing countermeasures to alleviate these risks.
Ayman Alkhalifah Alex Ng A S M Kayes Jabed Chowdhury Mamoun Alazab Paul A Watters
225414393
Cybersecurity Threats in Healthcare Organizations: Exposing Vulnerabilities in the Healthcare Information Infrastructure
The healthcare industry has been brought to the limelight with the recent COVID19 pandemic. Everyday, the world waited for information from various data warehouses to report positive cases as well as effective treatment processes that help direct patient care. It was in 2009 that the HITECH Act was passed to promote and expand the adoption of health information technology, by converting paper records into computerized or electronic records to improve quality and safety of care through efficient, and timely exchange of information between the patient and the members of the healthcare team. Today, 30% of the world's data belong to the healthcare industry. As healthcare data exponentially increase, so does the security and privacy threats to consumer's personal and medical information. Both government and private advocacy agencies have created policies and standards to safeguard the public against cybercrimes. But what is imperative is transparency among healthcare organizations in exposing the potential vulnerabilities in their technology infrastructure so that collaborative strategies are created to address these cybersecurity threats. The Anthem security breach is provided as an example to identify weaknesses in healthcare organizations. Recommendations for healthcare organizations are provided as well as the role of consumers in the prevention of cybercrimes in healthcare is discussed.
Seth A Hoffman
212504606
Securing IoT: Threats and Vulnerabilities
Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technology it is used for connection of not only computers or mobiles but also buildings, homes, household devices (air conditioner, fridge) fuel stations and for several other industrial purposes. It has also cast its effect on sectors like transportation, healthcare. The connection and communication of these devices, processes and data produces an enormous data set, which needs large datacenters and data warehouses for storage. IoT infrastructure and services needs a great security measure due to a wide and ever increasing attack surface, vast heterogeneity and complexity of dynamism of volumes. This paper explores the challenge involved in ubiquitous computing and the security complications, by providing an overview of threats and vulnerabilities in IoT enabled cyberphysical system. The overview could provide guidance for future work and research on IoT security and computational intelligence (involving encryption) General Terms IoT, ubiquitous computing, threats, vulnerabilities, sensors, actuators, reference architecture, datacenter, and data ware houses
Shubham Rohan Asthana Rajiv Pandey
1484636
Mitigating vulnerabilities and threats for patient centric healthcare systems in low income developing countries
The global trend to adopt a patient centric approach in the delivery of healthcare services has enabled the ubiquitous access of health information by both health providers and consumers. This has consequently accelerated the distribution of healthcare systems worldwide. However, this has also increased the complexity of the management of healthcare systems. One of the major challenges is that these systems need to be readily available at the same time they should protect health information from an unauthorized access. This becomes even more difficult in resource constrained settings specifically in low income countries. Unfortunately, there is little literature that comprehensively endeavours to explain how to mitigate threats and vulnerabilities that are encountered in a patient centric system especially in a limited resource environment. The aim of this paper is therefore to discuss how vulnerabilities and threats can be mitigated in managing the security of health information in a patient centric context specifically in a resource constrained setting such as low income countries. The holistic approach therein focuses on providing customised solutions to the vulnerabilities and threats to meet the local needs of patient centric systems in low income countries.
2017 IST Africa Week Conference (IST Africa)
Richard Pankomera Darelle van Greunen
49210086
Cybersecurity in healthcare: A narrative review of trends, threats and ways forward.
Electronic healthcare technology is prevalent around the world and creates huge potential to improve clinical outcomes and transform care delivery. However, there are increasing concerns relating to the security of healthcare data and devices. Increased connectivity to existing computer networks has exposed medical devices to new cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Healthcare is an attractive target for cybercrime for two fundamental reasons: it is a rich source of valuable data and its defences are weak. Cybersecurity breaches include stealing health information and ransomware attacks on hospitals, and could include attacks on implanted medical devices. Breaches can reduce patient trust, cripple health systems and threaten human life. Ultimately, cybersecurity is critical to patient safety, yet has historically been lax. New legislation and regulations are in place to facilitate change. This requires cybersecurity to become an integral part of patient safety. Changes are required to human behaviour, technology and processes as part of a holistic solution.
Maturitas
Lynne M Coventry Dawn Beverley Branley
225415925
Cybersecurity Threats in Healthcare Organizations
The healthcare industry has been brought to the limelight with the recent COVID19 pandemic. Everyday, the world waited for information from various data warehouses to report positive cases as well as effective treatment processes that help direct patient care. It was in 2009 that the HITECH Act was passed to promote and expand the adoption of health information technology, by converting paper records into computerized or electronic records to improve quality and safety of care through efficient, and timely exchange of information between the patient and the members of the healthcare team. Today, 30% of the world's data belong to the healthcare industry. As healthcare data exponentially increase, so does the security and privacy threats to consumer's personal and medical information. Both government and private advocacy agencies have created policies and standards to safeguard the public against cybercrimes. But what is imperative is transparency among healthcare organizations in exposing the potential vulnerabilities in their technology infrastructure so that collaborative strategies are created to address these cybersecurity threats. The Anthem security breach is provided as an example to identify weaknesses in healthcare organizations. Recommendations for healthcare organizations are provided as well as the role of consumers in the prevention of cybercrimes in healthcare is discussed.
Seth A Hoffman
219176443
INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS VULNERABILITIES AND THREATS: WHAT STAKEHOLDERS NEED TO CONSIDER
The Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, introduces Internet enabled devices into industrial process systems operating in the energy, transportation, healthcare, utilities, cities, agriculture, and other critical infrastructure sectors, establishing linkages between previously air gapped information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) networks. While the introduction of these Internet enabled devices creates new efficiencies, improves performance, increases productivity, and increases profitability, it also introduces new security challenges and risks. IIoT is a system of systems; the architecture of a single IIoT system consists of different layers, with each layer performing a distinct function, having unique operational characteristics, and relying upon different devices and communication protocols than other layers of the system. Because of the unique characteristics of these various layers and functions, the vulnerabilities and threats associated with them also differ. Many internal stakeholders are involved in the conceptualization, planning and implementation of an organization's adoption of IIoT; while some may be experienced and knowledgeable technologists, others are not. Regardless of one's technical knowledge, recognition of the potentially catastrophic consequences of successful exploitation of those vulnerabilities necessitate at least some familiarity with security vulnerabilities and threats associated with the various IIoT layers and sub systems. The purpose of this article is to identify for IIoT stakeholders some of the vulnerabilities and threats associated with various layers and functions of an IIoT architecture and illuminate the need for a comprehensive, systematic, and layer appropriate approach to IIoT security.
Fred P Hoffman
13689507
Counter Measuring Conceivable Security Threats on Smart Healthcare Devices
Smart devices, the carriers of a huge amount of private, sensitive and confidential data are pervasive in today's world with innovative and enhanced functionalities. Smartphones have brought tremendous change in people's lives with the launch of a new platform of communication and an ease of access to a wide range of applications. Due to the swift increase in the users of Android smartphones and the increasing demands based on advanced ease and features, developers are working hard to achieve the needful. Easy access to certain features and applications gave rise to the powerfulness and an efficacy of various threats, risks and vulnerabilities that can victimize users' private data residing in smartphone paradigm. With the developments and enhancements in malware, for Android based smartphones, attacks continue to occur. In this paper, we investigate one of the possibly most destructive attacks for Android, that is, screenshot attack. We have developed "ScreenStealer" application and explored the vulnerabilities which make Android more inclined to risks and threats. Furthermore, we evaluated capture ratio of screenshots, resources consumption and execution time to determine effectiveness, efficiency and stealthiness of such a malicious application.
IEEE Access
Syeda Mariam Muzammal Munam Ali Shah Hasan Ali Khattak Sohail Jabbar Ghufran Ahmed Shehzad Khalid Shahid Hussain Ki Jun Han
51872365
Mobile Technology in Healthcare Environment: Security Vulnerabilities and Countermeasures
Mobile devices and technologies offer a tremendous amount of benefits to users, although it is also understood that it introduces a set of challenges when it comes to security, compliance, and risks. More and more healthcare organizations have been seeking to update their outdated technology, and have considered the adoption of mobile devices to meet these needs. However, introducing mobile devices and technology also introduces new risks and threats to the organization. As a test case, we examine Epic Rover, a mobile application that has been identified as a viable solution to manage the electronic medical system. In this paper, we study the insights that the security team needs to investigate, before the adoption of this mobile technology, as well as provide a thorough examination of the vulnerabilities and threats that the use of mobile devices in the healthcare environment brings, and introduce countermeasures and mitigations to reduce the risk while maintaining regulatory compliance.
ArXiv
Sajedul Talukder Shalisha Witherspoon Kanishk Srivastava Ryan Thompson
113754894
Healthcare Security Risks and Vulnerabilities
In this chapter the identification and assessment of the types of threats, and the degree (impact) of damage if the threat becomes an actual occurrence, are discussed as the foundation of a healthcare organization protection system. Appropriate security safeguards to be developed are identified to manage (prevent or mitigate) damage and establish an acceptable level of personal safety of the stakeholders. A properly conducted security assessment of the organization is shown as essential in identifying security exposures in a methodical manner that is thoroughly described, emphasizing specific risks and threats driving the security system to be based on a valid analysis rather than event driven, as part of a continuous process of evaluation. Healthcare security risks are grouped into major categories, with high profile incidents in hospitals used to illustrate these categories and reinforce the higher level risks inherent in healthcare settings.
Tony W York Donald A Macalister