FDA: Abbott updates pacemaker firmware to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on August 29 that it had approved a firmware update that is intended as a recall, specifically a corrective action, to reduce the risk of patient harm due to cybersecurity vulnerabilities for certain Abbott (formerly St Jude Medical) implantable cardiac pacemakers.…
Ransomware attacks: How to protect your medical device systems
Ransomware is a form of computer malware used to make data, software, and information technology (IT) assets unavailable to users. It uses encryption of data to hold systems hostage with an associated ransom demand, often in Bitcoin (a virtual currency that is difficult to trace). This encryption is used to…
Healthcare needs to prepare for Ransomware 2.0
Editor's Note Cybersecurity experts are warning that Ransomware 2.0 is coming, and healthcare needs to be prepared, the August 8 Healthcare IT News reports. Ransomware 2.0 combines ransomware with a worm, which allows it to move laterally or across internal and external networks. Because the next wave of attacks will…
ECRI Institute issues free resource on ransomware attacks
Editor's Note The ECRI Institute (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania) on May 25 issued a free public resource to protect hospitals from ransomware attacks. The new guidance, “Ransomware Attacks: How to Protect Your Medical Device Systems,” provides recommendations for adapting general cybersecurity principles to the requirements of medical devices, including a list…
Top 10 health technology hazards for 2017 named
Each year, advances in medical technologies offer new ways to improve the quality of patient care. But some also create new opportunities for harm. Medical technology is intended to improve patient care, but even the best of technology—if configured, used, or maintained improperly—can lead to problems. Hospitals must regularly examine…
FDA issues safety alert on implantable cardiac devices, transmitters by St Jude Medical
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on January 9 issued a safety alert for St Jude Medical’s (St Paul, Minnesota) radio frequency-enabled implantable cardiac devices and Merlin@home transmitters on reducing the risk of patient harm from cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities, if exploited, could allow an unauthorized user to remotely…
Wearable technology brings both benefits and risks to the OR
Personal wearable technology, which covers the gamut from activity trackers such as Fitbit to e-textiles that monitor vital signs, have the potential to revolutionize healthcare. Like most innovations, however, the technology comes with risks. For OR leaders, those risks include possible security breaches, distractions, and violation of patient privacy and…
Cybersecurity experts hack into hospital software, medical devices
Editor's Note An Independent Security Evaluators study of 12 hospitals found that all had vulnerabilites that could lead to patient deaths or harm, according to a May 9 report from WUSA 9. During the study, cybersecurity experts were able to remotely control respirators and patient monitors, trigger false alarms, and…
Healthcare top target for cyberattacks in 2015
Editor's Note Healthcare was the top target for cyberattacks last year, according to an IBM cybersecurity report. Five of the eight largest healthcare security breaches (more than 1 million records compromised) this decade took place during the first 6 months of 2015. More than 100 million healthcare records were compromised…
FDA: Draft cybersecurity recommendations for device manufacturers
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 15 issued a draft guidance that outlines important steps manufacturers should take to address postmarket management of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in medical devices. The guidance builds on the FDA’s existing efforts to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices at…