Top Cybersecurity Threats Faced by Medical Devices You Can’t Ignore
Medical devices, a marvel in modern healthcare, aren’t just tools for hospitals but rather life-saving devices for patient care. Pacemakers, insulin pumps, ventilators are backbone of modern healthcare that keep patients alive, monitor their health and deliver critical care. But here is the ugly truth: these life-saving devices are also becoming prime target of cyber-attacks. Why? Because the more connected these devices get, the more vulnerable they are to cyber threats.
Healthcare is becoming the most targeted sector in the last couple of years. And cyber criminals love medical devices with no security. Without the right defence, your systems might as well have a ‘Hack me’ sign on them. That’s where the role of cybersecurity services for healthcare steps in. If you are not locking down your medical devices, well…your hospital is living on borrowed time.
Let’s take a closer look at the top cyber security threats haunting the medical devices today and why they demand immediate action.
Unpatched Software Vulnerabilities
78% of healthcare institutes say that patching vulnerabilities in medical devices is the biggest gap in their defences. And this gap becomes a buffet for hackers!
These outdated systems are just begging to be attacked, yet many healthcare organisations shrug off these updates like they are optional. Spoiler Alert: THEY ARE NOT! Cyber criminals know this attitude of healthcare organisations and don’t shy away from exploiting even the smallest crack in medical device. So, it’s better not to leave your devices as easy pickings and utilise cybersecurity services for healthcare to stay ahead of such threats.
A proactive approach towards this could be regular risk management audits that help you uncover new threats and keep your devices secure from such vulnerabilities.
Oh, and for the device manufacturers – how about shipping your equipment without all those gaping vulnerabilities in the first place? Just a thought
Weak Authentication and Access Control
Is your medical device an open house for hackers?
Well, if you are not using robust authentication methods, Congrats! You just handed over the keys to your house to these cyber criminals. Now, they might exploit the patient data inside the medical device or take control over the medical device altogether. The result? A patient’s life maybe at stake and who’s accountable? You!
Weak authentication is like storing a critical medicine in an unlocked cabinet, anyone can walk in and take what they want. Just like you keep such medicines secure, you need to secure your medical devices with multi-factor authentication, encrypted logins, and biometric security. They aren’t just recommended but are essential from keeping your devices away from such hackers.
If you are serious about locking down unauthorised access, it’s time to hire a cybersecurity engineer. And for medical device manufacturers – why is basic access control not on the product checklist?
Insecure Data Transmission
It’s not just about data getting hacked; it’s about who is listening, viewing your data without consent.
Medical devices share information with each other, constantly transmitting sensitive information to the device manufacturers and respective stakeholders. Without proper data encryption, this information is available for anyone to view. Hackers just have to tune in.
To avoid such situation, hospitals need to encrypt their data, ensuring it stays in the right hands. They can take assistance of cybersecurity services for healthcare to help them secure their data transmissions before someone taps in and uses the data for some malicious purpose. If you are still not encrypting your data, what are you waiting for, an invitation to get hacked? And manufacturers, you need to stop cutting corners and ensure your devices can handle secure data transmissions.
Malware and Ransomware
Medical devices are becoming the darlings of ransomware attackers. They might be life savers for patients, but they are an ATM for ransomware attackers. Especially, devices like MRI machines and heart monitors are prime targets. If the attack goes successful, it becomes difficult for healthcare institute to explain patients, why their pacemakers are frozen unless they pay up.
Ransomware in healthcare isn’t just a hypothetical situation. Remember the WannaCry ransomware attack? The one which crippled hospitals and almost left all the medical devices useless. Healthcare cybersecurity compliance demands regular sweeps for vulnerabilities to ensure that malware attackers don’t trouble you.
Lastly, one thing you need to make sure that in healthcare, cybersecurity services are your first line of defence and not an option unless you want the “pay-up-or-else” message to pop up on your screens.
Outdated Hardware
We get it, updating hardware is an expensive thing, but continuing to use outdated one, that’s downright dangerous. These outdated models were built when cybersecurity in healthcare was more of an afterthought than a priority. And trust us, hackers love easy targets, which are predictable.
We understand that upgrading is costly. But ask yourself: Are you ready to bear the cost of a data breach? Certainly not! Hence, a better decision is to upgrade your systems before they bite you back and become a reason for your pitfall.
Pro Tip: You can hire cybersecurity engineers who can help you how to configure modern security tech with your outdated hardware. A misconfigured setting can lead to security lapses and to an issue in the future. So, it’s better to leave it to the experts.
Lack of Security by Design
Why is security being slapped on medical devices at the last minute? It’s high time that we take the approach of security-by-design while developing this lifesaving equipment. Yet many manufacturers launch medical devices without robust security, because who needs security when you have a sleek design. Right?
If you are living with the same notion in your mind, it needs to change. Cybersecurity in healthcare needs to be part of the product design from day one till the time the final component is assembled. A security-by-design approach ensures that your patients are safe, and your medical devices are free from hackers reach.
Hey manufacturers: We are looking up to you. In case you need help in implementing cybersecurity in your approach, you can approach us for our cybersecurity services for healthcare.
IoT and Remote Monitoring
Remote monitoring has opened a new path for patient care. With remote access, doctors can reach out to patients without locational barriers. But it has also opened gates for hackers to get to your patients.
As more devices get connected to your network, more problems can emerge. The reason being more entry points for cyber criminals. These devices give hackers a free entry into your system if they are not secured. You need end-to-end encryption, secured access, endpoint security to all your devices, and consistent monitoring to secure them from their reach. This is where the role of cybersecurity services for healthcare come up.
When you hire a cybersecurity engineer through them, he/she can help you configure the latest security measures to keep your IoT devices safe.
Final Thoughts:
As much as medical devices taking the healthcare industry forward, they are also opening new doors for cyber criminals to get into the hospital’s networks. As hackers continuously try to find new gaps to exploit these devices, without proper protection and security the consequences can be devastating.
But, with proper cybersecurity measures and analysing your risks you can outsmart these hackers. And our Anti-Threat Cyber Squad exists just to do that. With our risk assessment, a part of our cybersecurity services for healthcare, we help you uncover your loopholes and provide you strategies to mitigate them. IF you too want that peace of mind, while those hapless hackers try to figure out why they can’t hack into your system, get in touch with us today. Write us down at info@peoplactive.com for more information.
