Digital transformation has provided new opportunities for identifying patient needs and delivering healthcare - from prevention and health promotion to curative interventions and self-management.
The large-scale adoption of mobile medicine has led to the influx of clinical data through new sources such as apps, devices and sharing platforms resulting in the requirement for this data to be collected, shared, stored and potentially re-used, leading to increased vulnerability and security challenges.
Effective protection mechanisms based on individual encryption and anonymization techniques executed by HSMs ensure that only authorized persons and devices can access patient data.
Applications for Trusted Digital End-to-End Processes
Digital Signatures
Digital signatures leverage PKI certificates to offer the highest levels of privacy for regulated and sensitive document use cases like patient databases, health cards, eHealth devices, and various documents and agreements. In compliance with regulations such as eIDAS, they also provide legal assertion for medical personnel and patients alike.
Multi Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication securely restricts access to confidential health information and reliably identifies the user through qualified and legally compliant electronic IDs. Hardware security modules (HSMs) generate, manage and store the secure cryptographic keys required for authenticating a user or device in a broader network.
Code Signing
HSM-based code signing is the most secure way to physically and digitally secure code. If the code is tampered with after signing, then the signature will be invalid and no longer trusted. Signing keys are protected and can only be accessed by authorized users or systems.
Tokenization
Tokenization turns sensitive eHealth data into an unrecognizable string of characters that will provide no value to the hacker even if breached. It is a strong tool to protect communication and transactions along the digital value chain.
Post Quantum Crypto Agility (Future Proofs and PQC)
At this time, no quantum computer can run quantum algorithms, however once they are able to, these computers will decimate the security infrastructure of the digital economy. Post-quantum crypto-agility is a necessity for the eHealth infrastructure to be able to evolve in the advent of a new generation of attacks and consequently evolving cryptographic standards and algorithms.
5G Security
With 5G networks being built on software based models, ensuring security from the infrastructure layer to the application layer is an essential factor for consideration. Through the combined use of 5G and the Internet of Things, the healthcare industry can make significant and potentially life-saving improvements. Examples are - improved data collection, analysis, and real-time monitoring, as well as increasing the potential of remote surgery (current 4G cannot support remote surgery due to the lag of 2 seconds which could result in devastating errors in surgical suites. With 5G, this is reduced to 2 milliseconds). HSM-protected 5G creates secure channels between devices and the eHealth sector as an innovation to the future of patient care.
