Digital Twin and Healthcare: While Doctors Debate, Hackers Act

Let’s put it this way: doctors are still arguing over which data to collect, in what format, under which protocols, and which algorithms should drive the Digital Twin in healthcare. Meanwhile, for hackers, every piece of data is useful, regardless of its form, source, or method of acquisition.
Something doesn’t quite add up, does it? On one side, there is an academic debate over standards, privacy, interoperability, and regulation. On the other, a much more pragmatic reality: anyone with access to data—whether good, bad, partial, or corrupted—can exploit it.
And while doctors are still struggling to define implementation strategies, the world of cybercrime has already found ways to monetise medical data.

The Digital Twin: The Holy Grail of Medicine… or of Hacking?
Let’s start from the beginning. The Digital Twin is a virtual copy of our body—not just a static image but a dynamic model that updates in real time.
📌 How is it built?
✔ Collecting data from medical scans (CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, metabolomics).
✔ Gathering information from wearables, smartwatches, biometric sensors.
✔ Analysing genetic profiles and medical records.
✔ Integrating lifestyle factors, dietary habits, stress levels.
The goal? Predicting health problems before they manifest. If your DNA suggests a predisposition to hypertension, the Digital Twin could detect early warning signs long before a doctor diagnoses it, for example, by analysing your sleep patterns.
Science fiction? No, reality. But while medicine is still debating which data is truly needed, hackers have no such concerns. Any stolen data is an asset for sale on the dark web.

While Medicine Slows Down, Crime Speeds Up
Doctors seek precise and verifiable protocols, but the world of cybercrime moves with speed and ruthlessness.
✅ For researchers: The Digital Twin must be accurate, scientifically robust, and validated through clinical trials.

🚨 For hackers: It’s enough to steal biometric data to clone fingerprints, bypass security systems, and monetise sensitive information.

This is the reality: while medicine debates over details, criminals aren’t waiting around.
🔴 The Universal Health Services (UHS) Incident: In 2020, a ransomware attack paralysed over 400 hospitals in the United States. Medical records were locked, patients were sent home, and treatments were interrupted.
🔴 The Finnish Healthcare Hack (2021): Hackers stole and published medical records of psychiatric patients, demanding Bitcoin ransoms.
🔴 The Black Market for Medical Data: A complete medical record is worth 10 times more than a stolen credit card. Why? Because you can reset a password, but you can’t reset your DNA or biometric data.
While researchers argue over perfect datasets, the underground economy is already exploiting the available information—without hesitation.

Privacy and Security: Are We Ready for the Digital Twin?
Here’s the paradox: we are building an incredibly powerful technology without knowing how to protect it.
The key question: who controls the Digital Twin?
The patient, who should own and manage their own health data?
The doctor, who uses it to improve diagnoses and treatments?
The insurance companies, who might use it to categorise “high-risk” patients?
Or worse… cybercriminals, who could exploit it for scams and extortion?
📌 The Most Dangerous Scenarios:

🚨 Ransom-based on medical data: “We’ve identified your genetic risk for Parkinson’s. Pay up, or we’ll make your diagnosis public.”

🚨 Ransomware attacks on healthcare systems: Entire hospitals brought to their knees, with encrypted and inaccessible data.

🚨 Manipulation of clinical data: Altering a Digital Twin could induce diagnostic errors or simulate non-existent illnesses.
This isn’t science fiction. It is already happening.

Where Are We Going Wrong?
Medicine is at a crossroads: advance or fall behind.
✔ Doctors’ solution: Create standards, protocols, and regulations to ensure the Digital Twin is flawless and secure.

❌ The problem: This requires years of studies, validations, and bureaucratic regulations.
Meanwhile…
✔ Hackers’ solution: Collect ALL data, without distinction of quality, and use it for fraud, attacks, and manipulation.

❌ The problem: A complete lack of ethics and security, with devastating consequences for privacy and healthcare.
So, what’s the answer? If medicine wants to win this race, it must accelerate.

How Can We Protect the Digital Twin?
1️⃣ Give Patients Control Over Their Data
📌 Solution: Every individual must have the ability to access, manage, and decide who can see their Digital Twin.

📌 Decentralised models like blockchain could guarantee security and transparency but would involve thousands of transactions per month.
2️⃣ Ban the Commercial Use of Medical Data
📌 Solution: Prohibit the sale of biometric and clinical data to private companies. Klinik Sankt Moritz does not share data—even in anonymised form.

📌 Stronger laws against the monetisation of health information.
3️⃣ Protect Databases with AI and Advanced Encryption
📌 Solution: Implement zero-trust security algorithms, quantum encryption, and automated defence systems against hacker attacks.

📌 Klinik Sankt Moritz already employs a quantum protection system.
4️⃣ Standardise the Digital Twin Worldwide
📌 Solution: Define a universal language for health data collection.

📌 Avoid fragmented protocols, which slow down research and increase vulnerability risks.

Conclusion: Time Is Running Out
While doctors strive for perfection, cybercriminals exploit reality.
What must we do?
✔ Accept that the Digital Twin will never be 100% perfect—but it doesn’t need to be to be useful.
✔ Speed up development—because while we debate, hackers are already acting.
✔ Build security measures BEFORE the Digital Twin becomes standard, not after.
📌 Final Question:
Would you prefer a Digital Twin built with scientific rigour, or one stolen and used against you?
Klinik Sankt Moritz has been ready for years, ahead of everyone else—but the time to decide is now.

Sergio d’Arpa