Tag: IoT

IoT is commonly referred to as the Internet of Things and includes the extension of Internet connectivity into everyday objects such as medical devices.

10 Facts About Blockchain Technology

A technology that is new on today’s date can turn old in just a few months. Technology evolution has taken place in a speedy manner in the last few years. But there is a technology that has actually set a benchmark. It is the upcoming big thing after the World Wide Web. This is Blockchain technology. Since its inception in 2018, people carry a lot of misconceptions about it. People also carry weird notions about how a Blockchain app development company works. So here we are accumulating some important facts about this new-age technology in this content.

Knowhow is important

  • Use-cases – To understand blockchain, gaining deep insight about Blockchain technology objectives is important. A blockchain can be private, permissioned or public. We can understand this well from Facebook’s Libra. Libra is based on Libra blockchain, its control is in the hands of the Libra Association. The association includes Facebook & the member companies. They do not intend to operate Libra like Bitcoin which is a non-profit cryptocurrency.

Blockchain becomes versatile with this customization. This means it will incorporate non-fintech applications also. Few applications include keeping medical records, tracking smooth goods flow, etc.

  • Satoshi Nakamoto – The successful implementation of blockchain technology lies in the hands of Satoshi Nakamoto. He is the Bitcoin creator. But before implementing blockchain technology for small business, you might want to learn some interesting facts. Nobody is aware of the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. People suspect that he is of the Japanese-American origin from the famous Temple City.
  • Emphasis on official crypto development – Governments are now overcoming the initial skepticism regarding blockchain technology potential. As a matter of fact, they are realizing how beneficial crypto is. Launching crypto is easier compared to physical currencies. These are safe & environment friendly. Also in comparison to minting currencies, these are cost-effective. In the current times, there are more than 15 countries like the USA, Japan, UK, and Saudi Arabia who are very interested in introducing their own official crypto.
  • No more middleman’s game – Data is saved across users or nodes and not at a single place. This is in context to Blockchain. Features of blockchain technology include using DLT or distributed ledger technology. Almost every blockchain application is pinned on this technology. As a result every user or node remains side by side throughout the various developments. Recording transactions takes place in the shape of blocks. These are then added after a validation & verification procedure. The procedure is implemented via Proof-of Work or Proof-of-Stake. Altering or removing blocks after adding is impossible which means blockchain is secure.

Due to this, there is no requirement for third-party auditors. No one can tamper with the data.

  • Population utilizing blockchain – The popularity of cryptocurrency blockchain technology is ever-increasing. But just a handful of the entire world’s population is currently utilizing this technology. The figure stands approximately 40 million people. However, as per few market surveys, the figure will boost to more than 80 percent in the upcoming ten years.
  • Ever-growing market size – Blockchain statistics seem very promising right now. As per the International Data Corporation, blockchain spending is anticipated to hike throughout the period of 2018-2023. There will be a 5 year compound annual growth rate of approximately 60.2%. The banking industry leads the spending. It will account for more than 30% of the entire global spending. In India as well, the blockchain market will bloom. The blockchain market will enhance to a value of approximately $7.59 billion by the year of 2024.
  • Blockchain assisting with medical record management – The prospects of healthcare blockchain technology is also quite promising. The current methods of medical record keeping can undergo changes. This change is due to the distributed ledger technology of blockchain technology medical records. Medical records are spread across numerous medical organizations. Blockchain technology makes the procedures easier for patients. A patient can receive hands-on reports and he doesn’t even need to visit the doctor’s office.
  • Boost to IoT market – These facts about blockchain technology are truly mesmerizing. As more industries employ this technology in upcoming times, there will also be a boost in the Internet of Things applications. Its use will be visible through household devices & vehicles. So it is anticipated that by the year of 2020, the industry will boost by approximately $50.
  • NGOs accepting cryptos – The advantages of blockchain technology for NGOs are many as well. Cryptos are now considered as a valid currency for disbursement. NGOs & charities are accepting cryptos as donations these days.
  • Food supply chain – Few big players of the market are currently using best blockchain technology for detecting food products that have undergone contamination. This process earlier took several weeks to complete but as you use blockchain technology, it can be finished in a few seconds.

Final Say

Legacy systems will soon turn faster & better due to increased use of blockchain safe wallet. Blockchain is all set to grow approximately by $176 Bn by the year of 2025. This exponential growth shows how promising the industry is. Hence, associate with a sound Blockchain app development company today. To know more, connect with us.

 

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The Weave – investing in the transformation of the healthcare experience, and beyond

The Weave offers an early investment opportunity in a patent-pending enterprise blockchain platform with vast commercial appeal – scalable to multiple growth industries and government – that will resonate with consumers as well.

Investing in The Weave Enterprise Blockchain Platform for Healthcare

The Weave captures and connects real-world interactions in real-time, enabling industries such as healthcare to elevate and transform the experience for all participants – from providers to patients, hospitals to pharmacies, insurers to drug makers, and beyond. All entities in the Weave get their own blockchain, and all participants to an interaction have a shared block placed on their chain. This unique approach creates a Weave of interrelated interactions that securely scales out, mirroring social network effects, and cures over time into a robust shared information fabric.

Imagine reviewing historical medical interactions for a patient, drug or treatment, in-the-moment and in real-time, and thereby being able to make better choices that improve treatment options, avoid costly mistakes, and improve outcomes.

It’s a simple concept, with immense implications and opportunities – for the Weave, and for investors. And as described later in this article, early investor discounts for the Weave are also significant, but limited.

The Upheaval Team

The Upheaval team (Upheaval invented and builds the Weave) has experience in globally scalable enterprise software, protocols, AI, insurance industry solutions, and has experience turning patented technology into successful business models. We’re perfectly situated to capitalize on the future, because we’ve seen seismic shifts like this happen before, and watched the revolutions in commerce occur as a result. This time we’re building the revolution, with help from our advisors who have contributed to companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Groupon, DocuSign, and others that grew into technology leaders in their own right – they’ll help us do the same.

Total Addressable Market for Enterprise Blockchain Adoption in Healthcare

The total addressable market for the Weave, in healthcare alone, is immense. Global healthcare expenditures are expected to top USD $10 trillion by 2022, with an overall annual growth rate of 5.4%. The healthcare IT market alone is expected to top USD $440 billion by 2025, with the electronic health record market alone expected to approach USD $98 billion in the same timeframe – with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 50%. In addition, the Internet of Things (IoT) addressable market in healthcare alone is expected to exceed USD$530 billion by 2025, with a growth rate of 19.9% in that time frame. That’s a lot of growth, in a lot of different areas, all where the Weave can add value and streamline the experience for hospitals, doctors, patients, and all other participants.

In Deloitte’s 2019 US and Global Health Care Industry Outlook, one of its six trends included “investing in digital innovations and transformation” where it listed “digital innovations that are helping reshape the future of health care by making health care delivery more efficient and more accessible.” First on that list was blockchain, others included cloud-based computing, AI, cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS), and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT); the Weave will enable delivering on each of those innovations and more. Importantly, the Weave can do so without disrupting or replacing existing systems – the Weave can integrate with existing systems, rather than having to replace them.

Business Model

The business model for the Weave is based on a subscription service. A subscription establishes an organization’s presence in the Weave (a SaaS subscription model), then integrates their existing systems (in place, intact) to create their own protected Weave presence. Large organizations can have multiple Weave subscriptions, and work seamlessly. This is similar to other cloud-based services such as Microsoft’s Azure, Amazon’s AWS and others. With the Weave, organizations will also be able to subscribe to big data analytics services, so that business intelligence insights based on interactions in the Weave can be used to further improve decisions, service delivery, efficiencies, and even marketing programs.

Patients and individuals use the Upheaval app, our mobile app available on all major platforms, for their engagement in the Weave and to participate in the creation of shared blocks. It’s their portal into their own blockchain information, and the mechanism by which they can selectively share elements or categories of information from their chain, by simply sharing a readable code and confirming they want to share. For individuals, the app and their presence in the Weave is always free.

Subscribers, partners, and other participants who have a presence in the Weave will use the Upheaval cryptocurrency token, the UPC, to pay for subscriptions and other value transfers in the Weave. We talk more about the UPC in a few paragraphs.

An important benefit of having a presence in the Weave is the network effects that can be achieved. Organizations with a presence in the Weave will exponentially increase the value of their accessibility within the Weave environment, just as the Internet, social media, and online shopping exponentially broadened the reach of participants in those networks, too.

Crypto-economics

The Upheaval cryptocurrency, the UPC, fuels the Weave’s economic activity and is being offered in Blocks. The first Block is currently available in a private sale using SAFT agreements, with an early investor discount of 50%. The intent of such a deep discount is straightforward: early investors should benefit most, so they get the best discount. A finite amount of UPCs are available in Block 1.

Investment Window

Current Block: Block 1 – 50% discount
Current Window: Private Sale – open now
Investment: SAFT agreements, accepting BTC, ETH, FIAT

Here are details about the token offering itself:

Token Details

Symbol: UPC
Total Supply: 1,800,000,000
Token Standard: Weave
Hard Cap: 30% of all tokens
Additional details: see the Weave whitepaper

Participation in the private sale is handled through our investor site, which is accessible from our website. Our website describes the Weave in more detail, details our roadmap and our team, and has links to our whitepaper and our presentation deck. Visit our website at https://theweave.io.

All of us at Upheaval are dedicated to delivering the Weave for the healthcare industry, and beyond. Its opportunity to elevate and transform the healthcare experience – for all participants – makes it an investment with strong technological foundation, delivered by an experienced team, with seasoned advisors, on a roadmap that already has momentum.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please visit our website for more details, and use the form below to get in touch, and learn how to participate.

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Security Risks in Medical IoT Devices – MEDJACK Malware Review

Devices on the Internet of Things are a weak point in many networks. Too often, they have outdated operating systems and poor security protection. IT administrators can’t get at their internals. Deploying insecure devices in healthcare systems can produce especially damaging consequences.

Security Risks in Medical IoT Devices

Health-related data is a prime target, and the legal penalties for failing to protect personal health information are severe. An infected device may not function properly, putting patients’ health and even lives at risk.

Current risks of medical IoT devices:

    • With the number of IoT devices growing from millions to 100s of millions centralized processes cannot scale​
    • Current processes are vulnerable to variety of threats.

Attacks on devices through MEDJACK

The MEDJACK attack provides a case in point. It’s a set of malware tools that target medical devices. MEDJACK takes advantage of weaknesses in older operating systems which are embedded in devices. They include Windows XP, 2000, and Server 2003, as well as some Linux distributions. It has gone through several revisions, each time devising new ways to bypass defenses.

It follows the “command and control” model, where it installs malware in a device which then sends data to a server that belongs to the attacker. The aim is to exfiltrate confidential data on the patient or the provider. Such data has high resale value. The devices serve as a pivot point from which the malware can reach other systems on the network.

The difficulties in defending against MEDJACK

Several factors make it difficult to detect and defend against these attacks. The devices are usually black boxes to the IT department. There often is no way to connect a console to them. Installing anti-malware software is difficult. Even if there is a way to do it, it may be inadvisable, since it would modify the behavior of an FDA-certified device. If a desktop computer stops running properly because of security software, it’s a nuisance that can be fixed. If a lifesaving device has the same problem, the consequences could be much worse.

As a result, the IT department is dependent on the manufacturer to issue security patches. Some manufacturers are slow at this. Some are reluctant to update certified devices, even though the FDA has issued guidelines stating that security patches don’t require re-certification of the device.

TrapX report – a case of malicious penetration

TrapX’s report, “Anatomy of an Attack,” describes three breaches that resulted from MEDJACK. They are similar in many ways, and a detailed look at the first will be informative.

A hospital, not named in the study, experienced several security alerts. The point of penetration was three blood gas analyzers, which had been breached in separate attacks. They had set up backdoors in the local network and were sending hospital data to a server in Europe. The amount of data stolen is uncertain, but there clearly was a breach.

After gaining a foothold in the devices, the attack used malware such as Zeus and Citadel to find passwords to other systems. The devices stored their data without encryption, simplifying the acquisition of confidential information.

Blood gas analyzers are used for critical treatment. They can’t simply be pulled out of service. Remedying the malware problem, even when it is known, is a difficult task.

The hospital had respectable network security. It had a firewall, heuristic intrusion detection, endpoint security, and antivirus software. These were insufficient to prevent intrusion because the devices had antiquated operating systems and because it was impossible to install security software on them.

TrapX concluded that the attackers could have not only stolen data but modified internal data. While the report doesn’t indicate that malicious modifications occurred, a similar attack could make devices produce false data on patients. That could lead to deadly errors in treatment.

Benefits of blockchain integration

Manufacturers using enabled blockchains can construct authorization/authentication databases. The QBRICS enterprise platform presents a unique example of an integrated blockchain solution. QBRICS proposes that authorization/authentication databases be propagated to read-only permission blockchain databases downstream using proprietary transmission protocols​. A plugin provided by the blockchain platform on IoT devices would then authenticate using the most proximate database. Fully deployed, relevant data from inventory, operational analytics (usage), marketing perspective would be readily accessible for consumption by business intelligence tools.The complete solution would provide:

    • No rogue devices (stolen devices, unauthorized vendors etc)​
    • Near-universal availability of device information (including software and hardware)​
    • Device movement and location information​
    • Device usage information ​
    • Device software upgrades easier (as targets easily identified, maintenance becomes easier)​

Conclusion

As this case shows, IoT-based attacks are difficult to prevent and detect. Several actions, however, can reduce the risk:

  • Take security features into account when selecting devices, when information on them is available.
  • Keep IoT devices on a separate subnetwork which doesn’t have access to critical information.
  • Use firewalls to strictly limit inbound and outbound access to IoT devices.
  • Run frequent security scans for any signs of infection.
  • Doing without the devices is rarely an option. The only alternative is to give extra attention to their security.

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