Medical IoT Devices Are Vulnerable to Attack: Are Yours Protected?

There’s no question that Internet of Things technologies are a worthy investment for hospitals. In fact, nearly all healthcare organizations use them in some form — and their intuitive tracking and time-saving abilities can save lives and money. But federal approval of these devices doesn’t necessarily mean they’re protected from harm. In October, the Food and Drug Administration released a statement warning patients and providers about some of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities associated with these devices. Wireless tools such as insulin pumps, pacemakers and heart monitors have been found to be far more susceptible to hacking than laptops or phones because they don’t have the same built-in risk prevention tools — and legacy network monitoring systems aren’t always able to track their behaviors easily.