Abstract

The swift proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in healthcare, ranging from wearable monitors to interconnected infusion pumps, presents significant advantages while simultaneously posing critical cybersecurity threats. This study examines recent literature and documented case studies to pinpoint vulnerabilities in connected medical devices and suggest strategies for secure IoT healthcare. We use a thorough review of the literature and an analysis of published incident reports to group common attack vectors (like ransomware, data exfiltration, and denial-of-service) and find device vulnerabilities (like weak authentication, outdated firmware, and insecure protocols). We look at important countermeasures like encrypting data in transit, using zero-trust architectures, and using AI to find unusual patterns. Blockchain-based integrity checks and federated anomaly-detection models are two new solutions that are being talked about. The results combine advice from standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and NIST, and they stress the importance of layered security and lifecycle management. The conclusions underscore the ramifications for healthcare practice and policy, particularly the significance of device certification and staff training. They also propose future research avenues, including quantum-resilient cryptography and digital-twin simulations to anticipate IoT threats.