Security Tradeoffs in Cyber Physical Systems: A Case Study Survey on Implantable Medical Devices

TLDR

Networked cyber‑physical systems expose physical environments to critical cyber threats, creating security tradeoffs that demand holistic treatment. The study investigates the tradeoff among security, safety, and availability in cyber‑physical systems, using implantable medical devices as a case study. The authors analyze challenges and constraints in securing these systems, evaluating how security measures can be balanced with patient safety during emergencies and reviewing current solutions’ strengths and limitations.

Abstract

The new culture of networked systems that offer everywhere accessible services has given rise to various types of security tradeoffs. In fact, with the evolution of physical systems that keep getting integrated with cyber frameworks, cyber threats have far more critical effects as they get reflected on the physical environment. As a result, the issue of security of cyber physical systems requires a special holistic treatment. In this paper, we study the tradeoff between security, safety, and availability in such systems and demonstrate these concepts on implantable medical devices as a case study. We discuss the challenges and constraints associated with securing such systems and focus on the tradeoff between security measures required for blocking unauthorized access to the device and the safety of the patient in emergency situations where such measures must be dropped to allow access. We analyze the up to date proposed solutions and discuss their strengths and limitations.