MediTRUST – TPM-based VPNs for Confidential Medial Communication

Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s) are a state-of-the-art means to provide privacy during transmission of personal medical data or other critical information.

Protection in VPN’s is based on encryption of all IP packages to be transmitted. In case of highly sensible (i.e. medical) content special hardware appliances (VPN-Routers) are used to protect the used cryptographical keys from being recovered by spyware or other malware.

The project “MediTRUST” funded by the EC and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and carried out by the Ruhr University of Bochum, the Sirrix AG and Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT intends to substitute such external cryptographic appliances by using computer integrated chips (TPM – Trusted platform module) which are nowadays standard part of any state-of-the-art PC. As a result, additional costs for security features shall be reduced.

The main focus of the project MediTRUST is on medical networking, connecting health care providers with each other and with their authorities.

Contact:
Dipl.-Phys. Bertram Bresser
Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT
Ensheimer Strasse 48
66386 St. Ingbert
Germany
bertram.bresser@ibmt.fraunhofer.de
Telephone: +49(0)6894/980-206