Wireless Revolution Raises Device Security Fears

Article preview from Medtech Insight - August 2013

 The use of wireless medical technology is growing, and accompanying that growth are security concerns that some experts say need to be addressed immediately. While the US FDA prepares to implement new cybersecurity standards that must be met before devices are approved, an expansion to the HIPAA patient privacy regulations includes stiff financial penalties on device manufacturers for repeated data security breaches.

Wireless Revolution Raises Device Security Fears

Article preview from Medtech Insight - August 2013

The word “cybersecurity” has been part of the vernacular for several years now, but the term is applied most frequently to computer network security issues. Now, however, health care’s wireless revolution is raising the same types of concerns in the medical device arena.

Anyone who has used the Internet is well aware of the potential threats from malicious attacks or software malfunctions that can compromise the functionality of a computer and/or the data residing on it. But experts say medical devices with the ability to communicate wirelessly or via the Internet are similarly vulnerable. In fact, in some cases, the potential for havoc with medical devices is much greater than with computers, which have a longer history of dealing with such problems, as well as a whole industry created around mitigating those dangers.

As wireless medical devices and other cybertools become more prominent in health care, the backend problems with security are beginning to receive more attention. And efforts to deal with the issue are being spurred on by regulatory authorities seeking to improve security by not only altering the market approval process, but also by handing out hefty fines for violations that occur due to security breaches.

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Medtech Insight newsletter provides insights into the technology and market developments (devices, instrumentation, biomaterials, gene therapy, tissue engineering, etc) impacting a wide range of surgical and non-surgical clinical practices.