Cybersecurity expert and medical device hacker Florian Grunow has faced more hurdles than help in trying to get medical device companies interested in putting security measures into their network-connected devices, he told an audience at last year’s European DeepSec conference.
Cybersecurity
Were medtech’s giants hacked? | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Rumors of a medtech cyber-attack claimed that some of the industry’s biggest names were the targets of Chinese hackers.
When good guys hack: Batman can hack pacemakers
2013 year in review: Medtech cybersecurity and hacking over the past year
Medtronic vows to protect devices from hackers
Medtech giant Medtronic says that it’s keeping an eye on the cybersecurity landscape, taking action on newly discovered vulnerabilities and inviting third parties to help keep medical devices safe.
FDA hack spurs Congressional probe | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — House Energy & Commerce Committee members are taking a closer look at the FDA following an October hack that exposed thousands of agency employee accounts, including some 5,000 for active users.
The FDA has until December 23 to product documents related to the breach, which tapped employee user-names, passwords, email addresses, phone numbers and more.
Data breach exposes thousands of Cali docs | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Most healthcare breaches in the headline involve exposure of patient data, but a major slip at Anthem Blue Cross let slip the Social Security numbers and tax numbers of about 24,500 California doctors.
Anthem Blue Cross, California’s largest for-profit health insurance provider, accidentally posted the sensitive information in its online directory, according to the LA Times. The leaked data could be used to file fraudulent medical claims.
Cybersecurity lapse costs AvMed $3M | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — AvMed Inc. agreed to update its digital security protocols and pay $3 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the company of liability after a 2009 security breach.
AvMed reported the theft of some of its laptop computers, after which some patients reportedly had their identities stolen. A group of patients filed a class action lawsuit claiming the company should have had better cybersecurity measures on its computers.
Cybersecurity: Medtronic vows to protect devices from hackers
Dick Cheney’s hack-proof heart | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — When former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney was fitted in 2007 with an implanted defibrillator, doctors ordered the manufacturer to shut off the device’s wireless communication capacities, out of fear that the device may be vulnerable to cyber-attack.
In a 60 Minutes interview published over the weekend, Cheney’s cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner said that the was aware of cybersecurity concerns with medical devices and that he felt it was necessary to protect the prominent public figure from malicious hackers.
Hospitals want more cybersecurity from device makers | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Seven out of 9 hospitals and healthcare providers surveyed "strongly" agreed that medical device makers need to step up their cybersecurity and privacy practices, according to a study conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.
In a survey of information technology, information security, clinical engineering and compliance officials from healthcare organizations, addressed collectively as "Medical Device Security Leaders, most also said that they had to take the lead in addressing cybersecurity and educating medical device companies about the concerns.
Hacking healthcare: Would we know if a medical device was hacked?
The FDA has made medical device cybersecurity a high priority, even as it stresses that there have been no reported incidents of malicious medical device hacks or of patients harmed by a security-related issue.