FDA Reminds Device Makers of Cybersecurity Month

FDA is reminding medical device makers about this week’s beginning of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and to “remain constantly vigilant” about potential vulnerabilities when it comes to device technology. “As technology continues to connect, transform and evolve at a rapid pace, cybersecurity threats are never far behind,” an agency notice says. “Medical devices have become increasingly interconnected through wired and wireless connections, providing significant benefits to patients, health care providers, and health care institutions. But interconnected devices can be more vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, which could potentially impact patient safety.”

The notice points to several public and private organizations for more information about cybersecurity including the National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (NH-ISAC), and the Medical Device Innovation, Safety, and Security Consortium (MDISS), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT). “These partnering efforts serve to raise awareness of medical device safety and cybersecurity in health care and public health, and also to foster collaboration, information sharing, and coordinated vulnerability disclosure policies and practices,” it says.