Running head: 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY 1

3D Printing Technology

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3D Printing Technology

Technical Challenges of Using 3D Printing Technology in Hospitals

The first challenge of using 3D printing in hospitals is its exposure to the Internet or

insecure networks (Yan et al., 2018). When one connects a 3D printer to the Internet, it

automatically becomes an IoT device. Any access to the hospital network, either directly or

through a middleware, increases the attack surface and exposes it to new security

weaknesses. For instance, Octoprint is a software which connects to the printer and allows

one to start new print jobs to view and record a current print from a webcam. Recently

reported to Octoprint a failure in its software printer management whereby if it is exposed to

the internet and not configured properly, an unauthorized user could obtain administrator

access to this software and, consequently, to the 3D printer. It can also become out of order

due to malicious modification of its configuration.

Secondly, there can be a theft of confidential printing files and models (Garcia et al.,

2018). The problem is that most 3D printing files do not have native encryption. If an attacker

could access them, they could subtract them and share them publicly. They can also sell them

on the black market or reproduce the object on another 3D printing device with the

consequent economic and reputational losses for the hospital victim of the attack.
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References

Garcia, J., Yang, Z., Mongrain, R., Leask, R. L., & Lachapelle, K. (2018). 3D printing

materials and their use in medical education: a review of current technology and

trends for the future. BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning, 4(1), 27-

40.

Yan, Q., Dong, H., Su, J., Han, J., Song, B., Wei, Q., & Shi, Y. (2018). A review of 3D

printing technology for medical applications. Engineering, 4(5), 729-742.