The Unique Cyber Vulnerabilities of Medical Devices>
Information Week – Richard Pallardy
The article discusses the challenges of securing medical devices and provides recommendations to mitigate risks.
Some key steps that can be taken to secure these devices include:
1) **Passwords and Secure Connections**: Healthcare providers should ensure that devices are protected with strong, unique passwords known only to authorized users.
Devices should only be connected to secure systems, preferably in a medical setting.
Personal electronic devices, such as smartphones, that connect to these devices should also be secured with passwords and antivirus software.
2) **Software Updates and Notifications**: Manufacturers need to notify healthcare providers and patients about necessary software updates, patches, and hardware deficiencies.
Patients should register their devices with the manufacturer to receive these notifications.
Clear and concise communications should be provided, clearly specifying what actions need to be taken and whether professional assistance is required.
3) **Inventory Management and Support**: Healthcare providers should maintain inventories of the devices used by their patients and offer support when needed.
Procurement procedures should prioritize devices with appropriate security features.
Providers should also follow up with device users to ensure that necessary adjustments are made for physical safety and data protection.
Devices that have reached their end-of-support (EOS) date should be isolated from the network and only accessed when necessary.
4) **Risk Management Strategy**: Implementing an overall risk management strategy can be helpful.
This includes maintaining an inventory of when information from the devices is downloaded, where it is stored, who has access to it, and where it might be transmitted.
Regular penetration and escalation exercises should be conducted to proactively identify potential vulnerabilities and devise appropriate solutions.
These mitigation procedures should be included in the budget to avoid emergency costs in the future.
5) **Information Sharing and Collaboration**: Device manufacturers can benefit from participating in information sharing programs.
By integrating information from the wider industry into their designs, they can improve security from the outset.
This will also incentivize manufacturers of software used in medical devices to recognize potential security problems and address them accordingly.
The article also highlights the recent regulations enforced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure the cybersecurity of medical devices.
The regulations focus on monitoring and addressing post-market vulnerabilities, regular identification of vulnerabilities, software updates, and providing a software bill of materials.
However, the responsibility of protecting patients who rely on these devices ultimately lies with both manufacturers and healthcare providers.
Please note that the information provided here is a summary of the article and may not cover all the details.
I recommend referring to the original article for a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Link: https://www.informationweek.com/cyber-resilience/the-unique-cyber-vulnerabilities-of-medical-devices