Implantable Medical Devices with Wireless Pose Threats Some
medical devices such as implantable cardiac defibrillators and
pacemakers are now equipped with wireless technology, allowing
for remote device checks and freeing patients from repeated
doctor visits. But this convenience may come with unanticipated
risks. A team of researchers from three leading universities has
demonstrated that patients’ private medical information could be
extracted and their devices reprogrammed without the patients’
authorization or knowledge. There has never been a reported case
of a patient with an implantable cardiac defibrillator or
pacemaker being targeted by hackers, and the researchers
emphasized that the study was designed to identify and prevent
future problems. Undertaking the study required a high level of
technical expertise, and the published paper omits certain
details in methodology that prevents the findings from being
used for anything other than improving patient security and
privacy. The study was led by two