By Rema Deo, HCISPP
By now, everyone is familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT), an expanding network of physical devices, appliances, and equipment that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies in order to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet.
It’s an exciting digital world in which your smartphone can control the tiny computers in your air conditioning system and your house lights. Where the small computer in your refrigerator monitors water quality and automatically orders a new filter from the manufacturer. Where your computerized oven can be turned on remotely to preheat while you drive home.
Medical Devices Interconnected
The Internet of Things is a reality in the healthcare industry as well, connecting life-saving equipment in emergency rooms, enabling doctors to monitor patient health remotely, introducing new ways to manage chronic conditions, and providing numerous other conveniences. Following are just a few real-life examples:
Medicine dispensers connect electronically with systems that automatically update the healthcare provider when a patient has skipped a dose of medication.
‘Smart’ hospital beds are equipped with sensors that indicate when the bed is occupied, alerting nursing staff if a patient is attempting to get out of bed.
Ingestion monitoring systems, whereby swallowed pills transmit data to a device, are able to monitor and report whether a patient is taking medication as scheduled.
‘Smart’ inhalers track when individuals suffering from asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) require their medicine, with some devices even equipped with allergen detectors.
The Cybersecurity Challenge of the IoT ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
