Key result
Laboratory reproduction of a purported cybersecurity crash attack on a cardiac pacemaker demonstrated that while radio telemetry could be disrupted, the device's essential pacing function remained completely unaffected.
Why the study?
Medical devices increasingly depend on software, creating exposure to security vulnerabilities that clinicians and patients are relatively uninformed about and that require rigorous evaluation.
Pacing remains unaffected by simulated telemetry attacks; leaves open standardized risk-based cybersecurity testing for CIEDs.
Medical devices increasingly depend on software. While this expands the ability of devices to perform key therapeutic and diagnostic functions, reliance on software inevitably causes exposure to hazards of security vulnerabilities. This article uses a recent high-profile case example to outline a proactive approach to security awareness that incorporates a scientific, risk-based analysis of security concerns that supports ongoing discussions with patients about their medical devices.
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Ransford et al. (2017) studied Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) cybersecurity. Laboratory reproduction of a radio telemetry crash attack was evaluated on Essential clinical performance (pacing function) during purported crash condition. Laboratory reproduction of a purported cybersecurity crash attack on a cardiac pacemaker demonstrated that while radio telemetry could be disrupted, the device's essential pacing function remained completely unaffected.
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