Wireless Body Area Network: From Electronic Health Security Perspective

The Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) promises a great revolution in the field of electronic health technology in the future. These types of networks are, in fact, collections of low-priced small sensors with low voltage and computational power as well as insufficient energy capacitors which are located on the human body. As the wireless body area network should send the critical information gathered from the patient's body to the physician, the hospital, or the emergency for a supervision in real time, it needs strong mechanisms to protect the security and personal limits of the patient in order to avoid damaging invasions to the system and minimize the system vulnerability. Evaluation of previous works in WBAN security show different levels of threats and security solutions must be considered in accordance with each level. This paper aims at studying current methods of the wireless body area network and considering the levels, evaluation of the security requirements and existing threats. Furthermore, the paper is an attempt to present security solutions to improve the current status of the wireless body area network.