Cybersecuriy Risk Management and Evaluation Framework of Blockchain Identity Management Systems in HIoT: Experts Evaluation

Abstract

This paper presents an evaluation of a cybersecurity risk management and evaluation framework for Blockchain-based Identity Management Systems (BC-IdM) in the Health Internet of Things (HIoT). In this paper, thirteen experts were interviewed using a Delphi method to evaluate the framework, which includes the factors that are used to evaluate any HIoT BC-IdM system and the cybersecurity risk management processes and activities that should be applied. In addition, the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART) was used in the interviews and questionnaires with the experts to assign weights to the twenty-six identified evaluation factors to rank them based on their importance. The identified factors are divided into four main categories: security and privacy, technical, HIoT-related considerations, and external aspects. This paper shows that the security and privacy factors are the most important among other factors. Using Delphi, an agreement on the details of the framework was sought, including the cybersecurity risk management processes and activities in the main phases: framing, assessment, responding, and mentoring of risks. This article identifies the main and subcategories of the evaluation factors and explains the framework content in detail. It presents recommendations and findings concerning Blockchain-based Identity Management Systems in Health Internet of Things. The framework plays a role in standardizing BC-IdM in HIoT and contributes to the applicability and reliability of such systems by considering security, privacy, technical, HIoT-related, and external considerations.

Keywords

• Blockchain
• cybersecurity risk management
• Delphi
• evaluation
• health IoT
• identity management