Cyber Security Concerns Attempt to Pump Safety Into Medical Devices

Sometimes “cyber security” seems like some remote danger, unlikely to affect you, but recent news has made it apparent that security vulnerabilities can be found in human of locations—your insulin pump.

Johnson & Johnson has produced a Wi-Fi enabled One Touch Ping insulin pump system that allows users to send commands to the pump.  This pump has been on the market for eight years, and as a result the system in the pump is not encrypted.  This means that an attacker could record a command to administer an irregular amount of insulin and replay it—causing a patient to deviate from a course of medication which could cause hypoglycemia in diabetic patients.

Johnson & Johnson has been notified of this situation and provided consumers with solutions to the identified issues. The FDA has since praised Johnson & Johnson for its proactive efforts to protect its customers.[1]

So, the next time you install any device, whether an insulin pump, your thermostat, or any other mundane item in your home, remember that cyber security affects more than just your work computer or sensitive political documents—it can truly strike close to home.

[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-cyber-insulin-pumps-e-idUSKCN12411L.