Hacking

There is a worrying article in today's Times (British). It seems that some pacemakers can be hacked and disabled or worse. There is no mention of which manufacturers or models, but the devices involved are market leading and used by the British National Health Service.

5 Comments

more science fiction than fact

by Tracey_E - 2016-12-06 09:10:37

Theoretically, yes they can be hacked. Practically? Not likely. It would have to be equipment compatible with your device and be close enough to affect it. Remote monitors only report, they can't change settings remotely. So if someone wants to hack in and see how much I've been pacing, I guess they could, but that's not something I'm going to lose sleep over. They can't actually do anything but read the data. 

And...

by Grateful Heart - 2016-12-06 11:43:04

If they read the data....they probably wouldn't be able to decipher it.  

Sparrow:  When does your movie come out?  :)

Grateful Heart

 

Thanks Raphe

by IAN MC - 2016-12-06 13:18:45

Isn't it interesting that most of us who have computers at home  probably have some sort of of anti-viral software and ever-changing passwords to make hacking more difficult . Yet those computers that we have  under our collar-bones  ( also known as pacemakers  ) are completely devoid of any anti-hacking protection.

It seems that the security of computerised  medical devices is not considered a priority by the industry

Johnson & Johnson, which manufactures medical devices, recently had to warn that one of its insulin pumps in the United States and Canada could be hacked to cause patients to overdose.

While I certainly would not lose any sleep over the potential risks , on reflection  I would be happier if it wasn't easily possible for some nutter to disable my pacemaker.

Researchers from universities in the UK and Belgium did the studies which Raphe describes and I was encouraged to read that one PM manufacturer who was shown the data has already taken measures to address the problem

Sparrow..  until every PM has its security improved I would recommend that you only take on lovers who are PM -free

Cheers

ian

Really?

by Cabg Patch - 2016-12-07 12:28:38

Thousandss of people with pacemakers and ICD's die unexpectedly every year, how do we know it wasn't due to a hacker?

Patch ?

by IAN MC - 2016-12-07 12:47:34

You have got me really worried now , I can't decide which will be worst .. to die expectedly or unexpectedly .

Ian

You know you're wired when...

You have a T-shirt that reads “Wired4Sound”.

Member Quotes

I had a pacemaker when I was 11. I never once thought I wasn't a 'normal kid' nor was I ever treated differently because of it. I could do everything all my friends were doing; I just happened to have a battery attached to my heart to help it work.