In recent years, quantum computing has made significant contributions to many emerging technologies. However, it also poses serious security challenges to these technologies, and one of them is Healthcare Internet of Things (HC-IoT) applications. The devices used in HC-IoT often have limited power, memory, and computational resources, making them especially vulnerable to various cyberattacks. Even a small security breach could cause serious problems, from general system failures to risks that directly affect patients’ diagnoses and treatment. To address this important issue, we review research from 2017 to 2025, examining both the strengths and weaknesses of the technology across various subdomains of the healthcare system. We begin by presenting a taxonomy of healthcare, along with a breakdown of different domains where this technology has been applied or holds potential for future use. This foundation helps establish the motivation and context for the study. Next, we discuss various security threats, considering both the pre-quantum and post-quantum computing eras. Then, we explore existing studies to see what progress has been made and what is still needed. Finally, we point out key security challenges that need more attention from the research community. Lastly, we provide a comparative analysis with existing review articles to address the question of why this article is needed in the presence of published reviews.
In recent years, quantum computing has made significant contributions to many emerging technologies. However, it also poses serious security challenges to these technologies, and one of them is Healthcare Internet of Things (HC-IoT) applications. The devices used in HC-IoT often have limited power, memory, and computational resources, making them especially vulnerable to various cyberattacks. Even a small security breach could cause serious problems, from general system failures to risks that directly affect patients’ diagnoses and treatment. To address this important issue, we review research from 2017 to 2025, examining both the strengths and weaknesses of the technology across various subdomains of the healthcare system. We begin by presenting a taxonomy of healthcare, along with a breakdown of different domains where this technology has been applied or holds potential for future use. This foundation helps establish the motivation and context for the study. Next, we discuss various security threats, considering both the pre-quantum and post-quantum computing eras. Then, we explore existing studies to see what progress has been made and what is still needed. Finally, we point out key security challenges that need more attention from the research community. Lastly, we provide a comparative analysis with existing review articles to address the question of why this article is needed in the presence of published reviews.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed healthcare, facilitating remote patient monitoring, enhanced medication adherence, and chronic disease management. However, this interconnected ecosystem faces significant vulnerabilities with the advent of quantum computing, which threatens to break existing encryption standards protecting sensitive patient data in IoT-enabled medical devices. This chapter examines the quantum threat to healthcare IoT security, highlighting the potential impacts of compromised encryption, including privacy breaches, device failures, and manipulated medical records. It introduces post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum-resistant techniques like quantum key distribution (QKD), addressing their application in resource-constrained healthcare IoT devices such as pacemakers, monitoring tools, and telemedicine systems. The chapter further explores the challenges of integrating these solutions and reviews global efforts in mitigating quantum risks, offering insights into suitable PQC primitives for various healthcare use cases.
The Internet of Things (IoT) revolutionised healthcare by enabling remote patient monitoring, improved medication adherence, and chronic disease management. However, this interconnectedness creates vulnerabilities, especially with the looming threat of quantum computing. Quantum computers hold the power to break current encryption standards, safeguarding sensitive patient data in IoT-enabled medical devices. This chapter explores the looming quantum threat to healthcare IoT security. It delves into the potential consequences of compromised encrypted data, including privacy breaches, device malfunctions, and manipulated medical records. To address these issues, the chapter introduces post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and other quantum-resistant techniques (QKD) alongside their key considerations. It analyses the resource constraints (storage, processing power) of typical healthcare IoT devices – pacemakers, monitoring tools, and telemedicine equipment – to determine suitable PQC primitives for different use cases. The chapter then discusses the challenges of implementing these techniques and explores ongoing mitigation projects worldwide.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has grown rapidly, transforming various aspects of daily life into intelligent systems capable of collecting and exchanging data in real time. At the same time, advances in quantum computing have given rise to powerful quantum computers capable of processing complex tasks at unprecedented speed. This disparity between the limited resources of IoT devices and the capabilities of quantum computers poses significant security challenges. Quantum computers introduce new vulnerabilities that threaten IoT systems, particularly in critical applications such as connected healthcare, industrial networks, smart infrastructure, and secure embedded systems. This study reviews the existing literature on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) applied to IoT devices. It analyzes the characteristics and security requirements of IoT environments, current security technologies, and unresolved issues. It highlights the growing threat of post-quantum attacks and the need to adapt security strategies. Finally, the study explores post-quantum code-based cryptosystems as solutions to enhance the security of resource-constrained IoT applications and ensure their resilience against future challenges.
The Quantum Internet of Things (QIoT) in the healthcare industry holds the promise of transforming patient care, diagnostics, and medical research. Quantum-enhanced sensors, communication, and computation offer unprecedented capabilities that can revolutionize how healthcare services are delivered and experienced. This article explores the potential of QIoT in the context of smart healthcare, where interconnected quantum-enabled devices and systems create an ecosystem that enhances data security, enables real-time monitoring, and advances medical knowledge. We delve into the applications of quantum sensors in precise health monitoring, the role of quantum communication in secure telemedicine, and the computational power of quantum computing in drug discovery and personalized medicine. We discuss challenges such as technical feasibility, scalability, and regulatory considerations, along with the emerging trends and opportunities in this transformative field. By examining the intersection of quantum technologies and smart healthcare, this article aims to shed light on the novel approaches and breakthroughs that could redefine the future of healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
The extensive use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has transformed sectors including healthcare, smart urban development, manufacturing, and domestic automation. Despite these advancements, the surge in IoT applications has brought about significant security challenges, threatening data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Conventional security solutions often fall short in addressing the unique constraints of IoT environments, including limited computational power, system diversity, and scalability demands. This paper presents A comprehensive examination of the security issues associated with Internet of Things (IoT) systems, emphasizing key protective strategies and the emerging role of quantum computing. It discusses core security requirements for IoT ecosystems and investigates how technologies like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography can bolster defenses. The study seeks to support the design of robust IoT systems capable of addressing present and future security threats.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is involved in almost every industry, paving the way for innovative applications, including smart cities, intelligent systems, smart homes, smart agriculture, healthcare, and more. However, due to their asset value, these applications are under continuous and evolving cyberattacks. Furthermore, the advent of quantum computing presents a severe threat to traditional cryptographic methods that typically secure IoT systems, potentially rendering existing security mechanisms ineffective against quantum-enabled attacks. To tackle quantum-enabled and traditional cyberattacks, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) has emerged as a promising solution for providing future-proof security for IoT devices and networks against the quantum computing threat. PQC algorithms can resist cyberattacks from classical and quantum computers, ensuring long-term security solutions. This article explores the integration of PQC into practical IoT systems. It highlights the vulnerabilities of classical cryptographic methods and the necessity of transitioning to quantum-resistant solutions. Moreover, the implementation of PQC on IoT systems is analyzed. By proactively exploring the opportunities and challenges associated with PQC, this research lays out future directions for implementing robust, scalable, and secure IoT systems.