A Novel Decentralized Blockchain Architecture for the Preservation of Privacy and Data Security against Cyberattacks in Healthcare

Sensors (Basel). 2022 Aug 8;22(15):5921. doi: 10.3390/s22155921.

Abstract

Nowadays, in a world full of uncertainties and the threat of digital and cyber-attacks, blockchain technology is one of the major critical developments playing a vital role in the creative professional world. Along with energy, finance, governance, etc., the healthcare sector is one of the most prominent areas where blockchain technology is being used. We all are aware that data constitute our wealth and our currency; vulnerability and security become even more significant and a vital point of concern for healthcare. Recent cyberattacks have raised the questions of planning, requirement, and implementation to develop more cyber-secure models. This paper is based on a blockchain that classifies network participants into clusters and preserves a single copy of the blockchain for every cluster. The paper introduces a novel blockchain mechanism for secure healthcare sector data management, which reduces the communicational and computational overhead costs compared to the existing bitcoin network and the lightweight blockchain architecture. The paper also discusses how the proposed design can be utilized to address the recognized threats. The experimental results show that, as the number of nodes rises, the suggested architecture speeds up ledger updates by 63% and reduces network traffic by 10 times.

Keywords: blockchain; cyber security; cyberattack; healthcare.

MeSH terms

  • Blockchain*
  • Computer Security
  • Delivery of Health Care / methods
  • Humans
  • Privacy
  • Technology

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Taif University Researchers’ Supporting Project, number TURSP-2020/61, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.