Security and Privacy Issues of Implantable Pacemakers

Implantable cardiac devices including pacemakers are among the most important IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) medical devices for treating patients with heart disease, by regulating the heart’s electrical activity and stabilizing it. As pacemakers also use wireless networks and information technology programs to exchange data that can be intercepted by an attacker if no security measures are considered. An implantable pacemaker device can also be vulnerable to security threats putting patients’ health at risk. This paper discusses the security issues associated with pacemakers including two potential vulnerabilities between the programmer and the pacemaker, as well as the motivations behind an attack on an implantable pacemaker. It also presents a range of security measures to secure implanted pacemakers.