A Survey on Security Issues in Modern Implantable Devices: Solutions and Future Issues

Abstract: Implantable Medical Devices (IMD) is a fast pace growing medical field and continues to grow in the foreseeable future. Advancement in science and technology has led to the IMD devices offering advanced medical treatments. Modern IMDs can automatically monitor and manage different patients' health conditions without any manual intervention from medical professionals. While IMDs are also becoming more connected to enhance the delivery of care remotely and provide the means for both patients and physicians to adjust therapy at the comfort of their homes, it also increases security related concerns. Adversaries could take advantage and exploit device vulnerabilities to manipulate device settings remotely from anywhere around the world. This manuscript reviews the current threats, security goals, and proposed solutions by comparing them with their strengths and limitations. We also highlight the emerging IMD technologies and innovative ideas for new designs and implementations to improve the security of IMDs. Finally, we conclude the article with future research directions toward securing IMD systems to light the way for researchers.