While we might think that the inclusion of technology in medicine has provided a new world of possibilities, it has also opened a new world of vulnerabilities. Devices such as pacemakers benefit tremendously from these advances, being able to monitor the patient in real time, even over the Internet. But, what happens when these devices are not secure?
Billy Rios and Jonathan Butts, from the company Whitescope, have prepared an extensive report on cardiac devices, such as pacemakers or defibrillators, with a surprising yet alarming result. They found more than 8.000 vulnerabilities and security flaws among all the devices tested, not a single manufacturer passes the test.
Desde contraseñas por defecto, a vulnerabilidades conocidas desde hace tiempo que no han corregido, pasando por sistemas de monitorización sin ningún tipo de protección para acceder, así como dispositivos excesivamente “amigables”, que permiten cualquier tipo de conexión, venga de donde venga.
Los propios investigadores, conscientes del peligro que esto supone, han decidido ocultar parte de su investigación y no hacerla pública, al menos hasta que se corrijan estos problemas.