Safeguarding medical devices from cyberattacks in the future

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TLDR:

• Medical organizations and device manufacturers need to protect devices against future cyberthreats, including quantum computing.
• New legislation has raised the bar for device cybersecurity.

Healthcare organizations and makers of medical devices need to think about how to safeguard their critical medical gear against future cyberthreats, including the looming dangers posed by quantum computing, said Mike Nelson, global vice president of digital trust at security firm DigiCert. Quantum computing might not be here this year or next year, but it’s certainly coming. Much of the expensive medical gear in use today and devices being sold right now are not adequately protected against future threats, including those involving quantum computing and its ability to crack encryption.

Under legislation signed into law in late 2022, the Food and Drug Administration’s enhanced authority over medical device cybersecurity raises the bar on what is required from manufacturers in the premarket of their new devices submitted to the agency for approval. My advice to manufacturers is to be intentional in building your muscle around cyber, and make it a part of everything you do. It has to be embedded in the life cycle of the device.

Nelson oversees strategic market development of digital trust across organizations to protect servers, users, devices, documents, software and more. He discusses the risks of IoT devices, identity issues, and the impact of FDA’s expanded authority over medical devices.

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