When it comes to hackers, most people think of their banking information, e-mails, social media, and other components with access to highly personal information being the subject of potential attacks. The last thing you're likely to be thinking of safeguarding is your medical equipment software, right?
Yet, in today's world, even your pacemaker is vulnerable to hackers, and experts are warning that the results could be devastating for victims.
Medical devices cover a wide range of applications and modalities, including pacemakers, defibrillators, and infusion pumps. These are both wearable and implantable devices, and many are interactive today. The FDA, or Federal Food and Drug Administration, is tasked with ensuring the safety and efficacy of such devices.
It may sound like the next Will Smith sci-if movie, but the FDA is now warning that hackers could potentially target the software in your medical device. Breaches could affect patients, medical providers, manufacturers, and even the medical facilities overseeing the device's application.
Software vulnerabilities in certain medical devices that connect to wireless networks could enable hackers to gain access to the device itself or offer a backdoor entry to hospital and medical networks.
In an FDA statement on medical device cyber security vulnerabilities, a number of potential problems were listed, including an unauthorized remote user:
? Changing the device's function/operation ability
? Tampering to result in denial of service
? Creating informational leaks
? Creating logical flaws
? Accessing sensitive data
IPnet is a third-party software that many medical devices on the market today use as a communicative operating system. The FDA has identified 11 specific cyber security holes in the software. Thankfully, there are no known cases of the holes being utilized by any attackers - yet.
The FDA warns that possible attacks could be very difficult to detect today, and the agency is advising patients and providers to be wary of the potential threat despite the lack of fruition.
According to Suzanne Schwartz, deputy director in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, this medical device security vulnerability being left unaddressed could cause significant risk of patient harm. Schwartz points to the importance of manufacturers being aware of the vulnerabilities and potential for attacks to occur without interaction by the user nor detection from overseeing bodies.
It's expected that software-based medical device developers and manufacturers will likely need to be much more proactive in the future when it comes to the front-end development of device updates and code.
Visibility is a key issue of concern amongst experts. The device under attack may not interpret the attack as anything other than a normal network communication, thus allowing the hacker to circumnavigate and remain invisible to existing security measures.
Patients with implanted or wearable medical devices using software are being urged to speak with their health care providers and hospital service coordinators to determine if their particular device is subject to cyber security vulnerabilities. The FDA is also encouraging patients to report and seek medical attention for any software-based device that suddenly operates unusually.
For health care providers and facilities, the FDA is urging closely working with the manufacturers to determine if any of the devices being utilized by their patients are at-risk. They're also being urged to develop risk mitigation plans for any devices with such vulnerabilities.
Yet, in today's world, even your pacemaker is vulnerable to hackers, and experts are warning that the results could be devastating for victims.
Medical devices cover a wide range of applications and modalities, including pacemakers, defibrillators, and infusion pumps. These are both wearable and implantable devices, and many are interactive today. The FDA, or Federal Food and Drug Administration, is tasked with ensuring the safety and efficacy of such devices.
It may sound like the next Will Smith sci-if movie, but the FDA is now warning that hackers could potentially target the software in your medical device. Breaches could affect patients, medical providers, manufacturers, and even the medical facilities overseeing the device's application.
Software vulnerabilities in certain medical devices that connect to wireless networks could enable hackers to gain access to the device itself or offer a backdoor entry to hospital and medical networks.
In an FDA statement on medical device cyber security vulnerabilities, a number of potential problems were listed, including an unauthorized remote user:
? Changing the device's function/operation ability
? Tampering to result in denial of service
? Creating informational leaks
? Creating logical flaws
? Accessing sensitive data
IPnet is a third-party software that many medical devices on the market today use as a communicative operating system. The FDA has identified 11 specific cyber security holes in the software. Thankfully, there are no known cases of the holes being utilized by any attackers - yet.
The FDA warns that possible attacks could be very difficult to detect today, and the agency is advising patients and providers to be wary of the potential threat despite the lack of fruition.
According to Suzanne Schwartz, deputy director in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, this medical device security vulnerability being left unaddressed could cause significant risk of patient harm. Schwartz points to the importance of manufacturers being aware of the vulnerabilities and potential for attacks to occur without interaction by the user nor detection from overseeing bodies.
It's expected that software-based medical device developers and manufacturers will likely need to be much more proactive in the future when it comes to the front-end development of device updates and code.
Visibility is a key issue of concern amongst experts. The device under attack may not interpret the attack as anything other than a normal network communication, thus allowing the hacker to circumnavigate and remain invisible to existing security measures.
Patients with implanted or wearable medical devices using software are being urged to speak with their health care providers and hospital service coordinators to determine if their particular device is subject to cyber security vulnerabilities. The FDA is also encouraging patients to report and seek medical attention for any software-based device that suddenly operates unusually.
For health care providers and facilities, the FDA is urging closely working with the manufacturers to determine if any of the devices being utilized by their patients are at-risk. They're also being urged to develop risk mitigation plans for any devices with such vulnerabilities.
When it comes to hackers, most people think of their banking information, e-mails, social media, and other components with access to highly personal information being the subject of potential attacks. The last thing you're likely to be thinking of safeguarding is your medical equipment software, right?
Yet, in today's world, even your pacemaker is vulnerable to hackers, and experts are warning that the results could be devastating for victims.
Medical devices cover a wide range of applications and modalities, including pacemakers, defibrillators, and infusion pumps. These are both wearable and implantable devices, and many are interactive today. The FDA, or Federal Food and Drug Administration, is tasked with ensuring the safety and efficacy of such devices.
It may sound like the next Will Smith sci-if movie, but the FDA is now warning that hackers could potentially target the software in your medical device. Breaches could affect patients, medical providers, manufacturers, and even the medical facilities overseeing the device's application.
Software vulnerabilities in certain medical devices that connect to wireless networks could enable hackers to gain access to the device itself or offer a backdoor entry to hospital and medical networks.
In an FDA statement on medical device cyber security vulnerabilities, a number of potential problems were listed, including an unauthorized remote user:
? Changing the device's function/operation ability
? Tampering to result in denial of service
? Creating informational leaks
? Creating logical flaws
? Accessing sensitive data
IPnet is a third-party software that many medical devices on the market today use as a communicative operating system. The FDA has identified 11 specific cyber security holes in the software. Thankfully, there are no known cases of the holes being utilized by any attackers - yet.
The FDA warns that possible attacks could be very difficult to detect today, and the agency is advising patients and providers to be wary of the potential threat despite the lack of fruition.
According to Suzanne Schwartz, deputy director in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, this medical device security vulnerability being left unaddressed could cause significant risk of patient harm. Schwartz points to the importance of manufacturers being aware of the vulnerabilities and potential for attacks to occur without interaction by the user nor detection from overseeing bodies.
It's expected that software-based medical device developers and manufacturers will likely need to be much more proactive in the future when it comes to the front-end development of device updates and code.
Visibility is a key issue of concern amongst experts. The device under attack may not interpret the attack as anything other than a normal network communication, thus allowing the hacker to circumnavigate and remain invisible to existing security measures.
Patients with implanted or wearable medical devices using software are being urged to speak with their health care providers and hospital service coordinators to determine if their particular device is subject to cyber security vulnerabilities. The FDA is also encouraging patients to report and seek medical attention for any software-based device that suddenly operates unusually.
For health care providers and facilities, the FDA is urging closely working with the manufacturers to determine if any of the devices being utilized by their patients are at-risk. They're also being urged to develop risk mitigation plans for any devices with such vulnerabilities.
Yet, in today's world, even your pacemaker is vulnerable to hackers, and experts are warning that the results could be devastating for victims.
Medical devices cover a wide range of applications and modalities, including pacemakers, defibrillators, and infusion pumps. These are both wearable and implantable devices, and many are interactive today. The FDA, or Federal Food and Drug Administration, is tasked with ensuring the safety and efficacy of such devices.
It may sound like the next Will Smith sci-if movie, but the FDA is now warning that hackers could potentially target the software in your medical device. Breaches could affect patients, medical providers, manufacturers, and even the medical facilities overseeing the device's application.
Software vulnerabilities in certain medical devices that connect to wireless networks could enable hackers to gain access to the device itself or offer a backdoor entry to hospital and medical networks.
In an FDA statement on medical device cyber security vulnerabilities, a number of potential problems were listed, including an unauthorized remote user:
? Changing the device's function/operation ability
? Tampering to result in denial of service
? Creating informational leaks
? Creating logical flaws
? Accessing sensitive data
IPnet is a third-party software that many medical devices on the market today use as a communicative operating system. The FDA has identified 11 specific cyber security holes in the software. Thankfully, there are no known cases of the holes being utilized by any attackers - yet.
The FDA warns that possible attacks could be very difficult to detect today, and the agency is advising patients and providers to be wary of the potential threat despite the lack of fruition.
According to Suzanne Schwartz, deputy director in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, this medical device security vulnerability being left unaddressed could cause significant risk of patient harm. Schwartz points to the importance of manufacturers being aware of the vulnerabilities and potential for attacks to occur without interaction by the user nor detection from overseeing bodies.
It's expected that software-based medical device developers and manufacturers will likely need to be much more proactive in the future when it comes to the front-end development of device updates and code.
Visibility is a key issue of concern amongst experts. The device under attack may not interpret the attack as anything other than a normal network communication, thus allowing the hacker to circumnavigate and remain invisible to existing security measures.
Patients with implanted or wearable medical devices using software are being urged to speak with their health care providers and hospital service coordinators to determine if their particular device is subject to cyber security vulnerabilities. The FDA is also encouraging patients to report and seek medical attention for any software-based device that suddenly operates unusually.
For health care providers and facilities, the FDA is urging closely working with the manufacturers to determine if any of the devices being utilized by their patients are at-risk. They're also being urged to develop risk mitigation plans for any devices with such vulnerabilities.
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