Board urges feds to prevent medical device hacking

In the wake of increasing concern about the security of wireless medical devices, a privacy and security advisory board is calling on the government to grant the FDA or other federal entity the authority to assess the security of devices before they’re released for sale to the market. The group also wants the government to establish a clear channel through the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team for reporting security problems with medical devices — including pacemakers, defibrillators, and insulin pumps – so vulnerabilities can be easily tracked and addressed.