The global "Internet of Things" (IoT) market in healthcare is expected to grow to $446.52 billion by 2028, Fortune Business Insights recently reported.

The Internet of Bodies is an integral part of the Internet of Things;

The emergence and development of this new term has helped the presence of many devices specially prepared for the human body, such as devices used to monitor physical fitness such as wrist watches, heart rate monitors, blood pressure measuring devices, microchips implanted in the body to monitor the work of the digestive system, brain stimulation devices, and others. Lots of tools and devices specifically designed to monitor the movement and performance of the human body, which is treated as a computer system capable of being monitored and reprogrammed.

And the Internet of bodies - with a simple definition of it - is the link between the devices inside and around the human body by providing a secure connection between them, and this communication transmits very important information and data about the current and future health of the human body, which contributes to treating many diseases or predicting their occurrence before they occur, In addition to monitoring and diagnosing patients immediately and with extreme accuracy, as the IOT for all platform recently mentioned.

These torrents of data on everything from diets to social interactions can help improve preventative healthcare, increase employee productivity, and encourage people to become active participants in their own health and the health of their community.

An artificial pancreas, for example, could automate and regulate insulin doses for diabetics, and “brain-computer interfaces” could give amputees the ability to control their prosthetics with their minds, and smart diapers could alert parents via an app when Their little one needs a change.

But despite its potential to revolutionize just about everything to improve our lives, health, and ways of living, the Internet of Objects can put our most private personal information at risk and even endanger our very lives.

IoT devices in use can already track, record and store users' whereabouts and bodily functions (Getty Images)

wild west

A study - recently conducted by the RAND Corporation - revealed that this type of technology has the ability to improve people's lives in countless ways, but it also contains many risks. Maximize the positive side and minimize the risks and negatives that can occur.

"When it comes to regulating the functioning of the Internet of Objects and the possibilities it has, it's the Wild West," said Mary Lee, a mathematician at the Foundation and lead author of the study.

"There are many benefits to these technologies that some consider to be too great to be slowed down by policy, but we need to have a greater discussion about the cost of these benefits, and how we can avoid some of the risks altogether," she added.

"Huge amounts of data are being collected, and the regulations for this data are really vague... There is not much clarity about who owns this data, how it is used, and even who it can be sold to," the study's lead author explained.

Mathematician Mary Lee and her colleagues examined the risks that IoT devices can pose across three areas: data privacy, cybersecurity, and ethics.

data privacy

IoT devices already in use - and still under development - can track, record, and store users' whereabouts, physical functions, what they see, hear, and even what they think. According to researchers at the RAND Corporation, there are many unresolved questions about who has authority to access This data, and how they can use it.

Data collection can pose a potential privacy risk, depending on what is being collected, how often it is collected, whether users have given prior consent to the process, and whether they can easily opt out or prevent companies from selling their data.

“There is a patchwork of regulations in the US, for example, that make it unclear how safe these devices are to use,” said Mary Lee. “There are no national regulations on data brokers, so these brokers may be able to sell your information to third parties. , which can then create a profile for you, based on that data sold.”

For example, modern implantable defibrillators can provide continuous information about patients' heart fluctuations, and these devices can also regulate patients' heart rate, and can help treat heart failure, as these devices are implanted in the chest with insulating wires It connects to the heart, and a transmitter in the patient's home transmits the data wirelessly to the doctor or hospital.

But it is also possible to use these devices to spy on the patient and use this data against him in the courts, as happened in one of the famous American cases that occurred with a heart patient who was accused of burning his house in the hope of insurance, in that case the data obtained from the pacemaker was used implanted in the accused's chest for conviction in court.

There are still many questions about how much security and privacy people have when using the Internet of Things (Getty Images)

security risks

IoT devices can be vulnerable to the same security flaws as IoT devices, or any other technology that stores information in the cloud, but due to the nature of IoT devices and the data they collect, the risks are much greater, as security holes can allow unauthorized parties to Leaking private information, tampering with data, or preventing users from accessing their accounts.

In the case of some implanted medical devices, hackers can manipulate the devices to cause serious bodily injuries that may lead to death, and the national security of countries is also a source of concern, as it is possible through these devices to collect data on the leaders and leaders of countries implanted these devices in their bodies, and use it against them Or knowing their whereabouts with extreme accuracy, in preparation for their liquidation or targeting of terrorist operations.

Medical bracelets, watches, and smartphone apps can also track steps, heart rate, sleep patterns and other physical data, such as alcohol consumption, and many devices also offer easy-to-use analytics, giving individuals a more comprehensive view of their health, and may help users identify and research potential health problems. in advance, and avoid it before it happens.

However, the volume of personal data these devices collect, security vulnerabilities, and the potential for user error may create unimaginable problems, as companies, hackers, and even foreign adversaries can exploit users' data for financial or political gain.

digital grain

In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first digital tablet with built-in sensors that records that the drug has been taken on time. Patients taking treatment on time is critical to preventing relapse.

Patients can give caregivers and doctors access to this information through a special web portal. This helps health care providers make sure that patients adhere to their treatment plans, but this comes at the cost of exposing health care provider networks to hacking and cyber attacks.

The data collected by digital pills also helps insurance companies monitor patients' adherence to their medication, and decline financial coverage for those who do not follow their prescribed treatment regimen accurately.

Ethical concerns

Privacy and security risks are at their core ethical issues for the individuals whose data is compromised, but the Internet of Objects raises more ethical concerns, including human inequality and threats to personal autonomy.

There are many people who do not have health insurance or even the ability to access the Internet, or do not have the money to buy these devices to treat themselves, and this means that the benefits of this technology will be limited to the rich people only.

There are billions of dollars that wealthy people such as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are pouring into start-up companies or to fund scientific and medical research aimed at “hacking” the human body by treating it as a system A computer whose programming can be changed, viewing various diseases, aging and even death as a fixable defect, and perhaps the results of this research and the applications that result from it will be limited to those rich people who seek to extend their lives, and renew their biological systems whenever they are damaged at a time when millions of people do not find The price of treatment for communicable or chronic diseases from which they have long suffered.

Because this technology is still in its infancy, there are still many basic questions about whether individuals own their personal data or have the right to opt out of data collection or to ensure that this data and information will not be used against them in the future, especially by countries and ruling regimes, particularly in authoritarian states.