Major healthcare data breaches down in first half of year
Editor's Note Cybersecurity firm Cryptonite reports there were eight major healthcare data breaches in the first half of 2018, down from 19 during the same time in 2017, according to the July 18 Healthcare Informatics. However, the number of patient records breached this year was up, with more than 1.9…
Cybersecurity should be high on healthcare priority lists
No homeowners willingly allow a burglar to enter their home and steal their most valuable possessions. Instead, people put locks on doors, install alarm systems, build fences, or keep big dogs. The thieves may still get in, but deterrents like these will reduce the risk of a successful burglary. Ambulatory…
FDA approves firmware update for Abbott ICDs, CRT-Ds
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 17 announced that it had approved a firmware update that is now available for certain Abbott (formerly St Jude Medical) implantable cardiac devices (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds). The update is a corrective action (recall) to reduce the…
Top 10 health technology hazards for 2018 named
Medical technology is intended to improve patient care, but even the best technology—if configured, used, or maintained improperly—can lead to problems. Hospitals must regularly examine their hazard control priorities to target the most pressing risks. ECRI Institute’s annual Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report identifies high-priority sources of danger or…
ECRI Institute issues annual technology hazards list
Editor's Note ECRI Institute on December 12 issued its list of Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2018. The list, which is available for free (registration required), identifies sources of technology dangers or difficulties and details steps to minimize the occurrence of adverse events. Topping the list is ransomware and…
ECRI Institute releases Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2018
Editor's Note The ECRI Institute on November 6 released its Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2018. The report identifies potential sources of danger involving medical devices and other healthcare technologies to watch for in the coming year. Topping the list is ransomware and other cybersecurity threats, followed by endoscope…
Data analytics tops list of challenges for healthcare execs in 2018
Editor's Note In a survey from the HealthCare Executive Group, clinical and data analytics was was the top of 10 challenges the healthcare industry will face in 2018, the October 9 Becker’s Health IT & CIO Review reports. Value-based payments was third, cybersecurity was sixth, and mobile health technology was…
FDA to staff new digital health unit
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is filling 13 positions in a new digital health unit that was created as part of the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017, the September 11 FierceHealthcare reports. The FDA intends to build a group of experts who are experienced with software lifecycle…
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…