Security and Privacy Issues in Distributed Healthcare Systems – A Survey

New computational and wireless modulation schemes have increased the effectiveness of healthcare (HC) delivery systems. Today's medical technology allows doctors and nurses to keep tabs on patients' vitals without constantly checking in with them. Implantable medical technology, body area networks, and the Internet of Things all contribute to better patient monitoring and care in HC systems. Because breaches in security or privacy can have devastating impacts on patients' treatments and general health, optimizing between security, privacy, and treatment is vital for HC systems despite the complexity of their underlying software and technology. Numerous design faults and the lack of effective security measures in HC equipment and applications pose serious difficulties and hazards to the HC industry. In this chapter, we discuss the effects of security and privacy threats on HC systems. We provide a comprehensive overview of possible attacks and explore the consequences of each. We also analyze the shortcomings of the already recommended security measures for HC IT systems. The chapter concludes with suggestions for further study into protecting HC networks from widely exploited flaws.