Can we learn from an imagined ransomware attack on a hospital at home platform?

Abstract

The hospital at home concept integrates key digital medicine technologies and concepts in a single platform approach, with telemedicine, wearables, and sensors. It could bring benefits to patients, who face lower risks from hospital infections and who want to be at home with their loved ones. Moreover, it may lead to efficiency savings, through its seamless integration of data flows, and therefore is likely to be an increasingly implemented model. But what happens when the platform succumbs to exploited platform/infrastructure vulnerabilities or cyber attacks like ransomware that have been weaponized to bring networked systems crashing down? Exploring the attack modes and their consequences could help prioritize adequate safeguards.