Billions of people around the world are using internet-connected medical devices to monitor their health, but a new cybersecurity study suggests hackers using their data for unhealthy reasons may be at risk. .

Charles Darwin University (CDU) researchers hacked three common medical devices: an oximeter that monitors blood oxygen saturation, a smartwatch, and a smart peak flow meter that measures air flow out of the lungs. measures the

The researchers’ goal was to explore the potential risks and vulnerabilities of these devices, which have become an integral part of the global healthcare system.

According to market research, it is estimated that the market for these devices will grow from USD 48.69 billion in 2021 to USD 270.4 billion in 2029.

Study the co-author. Dr. Bharanidharan Shanmugamwho is a lecturer in Information Technology. CDU’s Faculty of Science and Technologysaid the team attacked each device using three different techniques.

The team successfully performed sniffing and jamming attacks on oximeters and smartwatches.

“An oximeter sniffing attack involves intercepting and capturing data transmitted between oximeters and monitoring systems or devices used by healthcare providers,” said Dr. Shanmugam.

“By intercepting communication channels, attackers can gain unauthorized access to sensitive patient data, such as oxygen saturation levels, heart rate readings, and patient identifiers, leading to compromised patient monitoring. Mistakes happen and potentially wrong clinical decisions.

“In smartwatches, sniffing attacks compromise user privacy by exposing confidential health information, such as heart rate, sleep patterns, and activity levels, to unauthorized parties.

“A jamming attack disrupts wireless communications between these devices and the surveillance system by interfering with radio frequency signals. This can result in a temporary or prolonged loss of data connectivity, preventing real-time monitoring. This important view It can also delay timely medical interventions for care. Patients, which may cause health care providers to miss significant changes in the patient’s condition, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes or complications.”

Dr. Shanmugam said that as the population ages, healthcare needs are expected to increase, making Internet-connected medical devices indispensable.

“Manufacturers must ensure privacy, security and accessibility of the data collected,” said Dr. Shanmugam.

“It facilitates accurate health tracking, promotes user confidence, and prompts timely medical consultation. As these technologies evolve and incorporate more sensors, real-time attackers It increases the risk of obtaining sensitive data and profiling potential victims.”

Threat Assessment and Attack Detection in Heterogeneous IoMT Devices Using a Hybrid Fuzzy Logic Analytical Approach Published in an international journal. Sensor.



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