Software Level Security, Privacy Attacks and Challenges in Smart Healthcare Systems

Abstract

The widespread adoption of smart healthcare systems and the use of IoT, cloud computing, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence for pandemic data analysis, remote diagnostics, the use of wireless medical devices, and public information services has introduced new cybersecurity risks. The vast amount of personal data, including health information, makes healthcare systems a prime target for cybercriminals who could exploit it for harassment and fraudulent purposes. Additionally, the increased reliance on anytime, anywhere connectivity creates vulnerabilities in wireless medical devices. Recent reports highlight these threats, with examples including privacy breaches, ransomware attacks, and disruptions in communication channels for medical devices. Such security breaches can erode patient trust, cripple healthcare systems, and even endanger lives. This surge in usage and integration of smart devices, often connected through healthcare apps, has also introduced new cybersecurity concerns. To address these challenges this paper reviews the recent software-level security and privacy threats in smart healthcare systems, explores mitigation techniques proposed in the literature, also discusses the vulnerabilities of medical devices along with the service disruption in communication channel and the impact of cyber security attacks on smart healthcare system, and discuss the future challenges of software security in smart healthcare.