Cybersecurity

Medtech Cybervangelists Hack Several Critical Care Devices

By MedTech Intelligence Staff
Cybersecurity

APRIL FOOL’S: This article was part of our special edition, Find the Fake News.

–Update– Did you guess that this article was the fake news? If so, congratulations! Happy April Fool’s Day.

Last week an annual hack-a-thon brought together several-dozen security professionals who focus solely on exposing and evaluating vulnerabilities in medical devices. The group, who call themselves medtech cybervangelists, gathered in San Francisco and were able to crack security codes on several devices, shining a spotlight on the significant gaps in medical device software and systems. The group was able to hack into the following medical devices and healthcare systems:

  • Insulin pumps
  • Pacemakers
  • Defibrillators
  • Bedside monitors
  • Radiation therapy machines
  • Electronic medical record platforms
  • Sensors embedded in prosthetics and orthopedic implants

Group founder Frank Pernulla was onsite for the event, which also included an educational forum for FDA. He expressed concern over the challenges that device companies face in cybersecurity, indicating industry does not have the level of expertise necessary to address the dangers to come.

Find the fake news: This article is part of the MedTech Intelligence April Fool’s edition. Vote on whether or not this is fake news by taking our poll, which will appear on our homepage on April Fool’s Day.

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