Cybersecurity Issues in Implanted Medical Devices

Abstract

Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs) is a promising new technology in the medical field to improve the treatment of patients. IMDs are electronic devices implanted in the human body to monitor or treat various sorts of diseases in different organs or to enhance the poor functions of different body parts. This article introduces problems in designing Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs), from a cybersecurity perspective. Older generations of IMDs did not consider device security as a prominent design goal. As a result, existing IMDs in the market suffer from vulnerabilities, that if exploited can have dramatic consequences. In this article, we emphasize the importance of securing IMDs by reviewing different possible attacks on many IMDs. We further presents approaches to secure IMDs as well as future research directions in this field, from lightweight cryptography to distance bounded communication through wirelessly rechargeable batteries.