Feds examining medical devices for fatal cybersecurity flaws
It was an eerie tale. Former US Vice President Dick Cheney announced last year that he disabled the wireless function of the implanted heart defibrillator amid fears it could be exploited by terrorists wanting to kill him.
Cheney's announcement put a face to the fear of possible medical-device hacking exploits, and researchers and the federal government were slowly realizing there were genuine vulnerabilities associated with these implanted devices. They are equipped with computerized functions and wireless capabilities that allow the devices to be administered without requiring additional surgery, and therefore they could be rife for hackers to exploit.
Cheney's move may have seemed far-fetched, but his paranoia is being confirmed as the Department of Homeland Security is now probing potential cybersecurity flaws in certain medical devices.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/10/feds-examining-medical-devices-for-fatal-cybersecurity-flaws/
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