Medical Devices Vulnerable to Hacking
Oct 23, 2012
A heart defibrillator remotely controlled by a villainous hacker to trigger a fatal heart attack? Yes now its possible, The Government Accountability Office has released a report warning that medical devices are vulnerable to hacking and calling for greater FDA oversight of such devices. The investigation into electronic medical-device safety was initiated after computer-security researchers found dangerous vulnerabilities in insulin pumps. The FDA in 2009 issued guidance urging hospitals and medical device manufacturers to work together to eliminate security risks. But in September, the Government Accountability Office issued a report warning that implantable medical devices could be vulnerable to hacking, posing a safety threat, and asked the FDA to address the issue. " Even the human body is vulnerable to attack from computer hackers ," Representative Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from California, said in a statement on her website . Preventing potential hacking it might s...
