p2pnet - rss feed: Hacked defibrillator scare
p2pnet news | Security:- Might hackers use "specialized software and a small antenna to intercept transmissions from a defibrillator," the electronic device used to kick-start stalled hearts?
In a model researchers studied, "transmissions from the defibrillator to the bedside monitor are not encrypted, which means that someone intercepting the transmissions could retrieve such data as the patient’s birth date, medical ID number and, in some cases, Social Security number," says the Associated Press, going on:
"As the technology spreads to more medical devices, including pacemakers, spinal cord stimulators and hearing implants - and as the range of the devices’ radio signals increase - the researchers predict patients’ data will face increasing risks."
IOHO, they’d be better off worrying about Google which desperately wants to get its hands on health records "to give users more control over their personal healthcare".
Meanwhile, "A Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman acknowledged a hacker could use specialized software and a small antenna to intercept transmissions from a defibrillator," says AP, adding:
"But she said the chance of that happening - or of a defibrillator being maliciously reprogrammed using a technique similar to the one a doctor would use to program it - was -remote’."
It’d be interesting to know how much the reseachers received to come up with this scenario, and just how much use their conclusions really are to the medical profession.
Dr William Maisel and fellow author Tadayoshi Kohno, who "co-led a 2003 study that raised questions about the security of an electronic voting system," acknowledged (admitted?) no hacking has been documented.
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Also See:
Associated Press - Researchers Hack Defibrillators March 11, 2008
worrying about Google - Dr Google - on the way, February 29, 2008
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March 12th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Why the hell would a defibrillator have a person’s social security number?
March 13th, 2008 at 5:02 am
Do they have a defib for everyone or how the hell does it know how the shocked guy is?
March 13th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
“Why the hell would a defibrillator have a person’s social security number?”
sounds like social security number is passed to the defibrillator with all other patient details age, weight, blood type etc… the defibrillator then uses some of this info to set the correct setings for the patient. e.g doctor can get any defibrillator and when it gets near the patient it is automaticly fine-tuned for that patient which is good. but if anyone can use a laptop to reprogram it then this is very bad (murder).
March 13th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Is this where our research dollars are going?