Improving the Security and Privacy of Implantable Medical Devices

In 1982, the threat to the security of the world's drug supply was recognized when seven people died from taking Tylenol that had purposely been contaminated with cyanide. The scare spawned federal laws, regulatory modifications, and a revolution in drug packaging. These interventions greatly secured the billions of pills, capsules, tablets, and liquids that have since been consumed. Today, medical devices, like the drug supply of a generation ago, face a security vulnerability that must be addressed through regulatory and scientific actions.Most people are familiar with common types of computer-security breaches — those caused by computer viruses, Internet hackers, . . .