RE: Hackers Can Remotely Manipulate Insulin Pumps

August 14, 2011

Isn't it a bit paranoyid though?

Most of the medical equipment is computerised these days. Hacking to hospital

chart of a VIP/celebrity - maybe of an interest to the tabloids.

To hack to soemthing, you need internet connection. I don't think the insulin

pumps or for that matter, mechanical ventilators, BP machins etc. are " open " for

hacking. In addition, I don't see how hackers even have intersts in that.

Hackers look for fame, to be on the news. I can see a " futuristic title " of

" kid died of hypoglycemic shock due to hacking " but really? Breaking into the

CIA/FBI/ big banks or Co. is the goal of hackers, insulin pump? I don't think

so.

Something is a bit disturbing here, but not on the hacking side, I think.

Merav Levi, RD, MS, CDN

A dietitian, not the food police.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/meravlevi

" Life is not measured by the number of breath you take, but by the moments that

take your breath away. " - Carlin

" People don't forget the truth, they just become better in lying " (Revolutionary

Road)

To: rd-usa

From: nrord1@...

Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:09:45 -0400

Subject: Hackers Can Remotely Manipulate Insulin Pumps

*To me this is disturbing....*

*Insulin pumps are vulnerable to determined hackers who could also remotely

mess up the readings of blood-sugar monitors, a security researcher who has

diabetes revealed at the Black Hat computer security conference, Las Vegas,

Nevada.*...

In other words, a hacker could cause a diabetic patient to receive either

too much or too little insulin.

Jerome Radcliffe says he experimented on his own equipment. He suspects that

other brands are probably just as vulnerable.

Radcliffe stated that, " My initial reaction was that this was really cool

from a technical perspective. " " The second reaction was one of maybe sheer

terror, to know that there's no security around the devices which are a very

active part of keeping me alive. "

A growing number of medical devices these days are hooked up to

communication systems so that doctors and other professionals can be

involved in a patient's care from a distance. Examples include pacemakers,

operating room monitors, and ICU equipment. In fact, some of these devices

can be remotely controlled.

So far, there have been no reports of hackers messing with medical devices

used by diabetics. However, Radcliffe's findings should be of concern to

medical device makers and those who buy and use them -- the potential is

there.

Even though attacks have been demonstrated on some devices, such as

defibrillators and pacemakers, medical device companies say that these have

been done by skilled professionals and cannot occur outside laboratory

conditions. Perhaps they should check out the skills of some hackers around

the world, some people have suggested.

For hackers, hacking is a goal to reach. If medical devices come into their

sights, and one person manages to mess with things, others might follow

suit, even offering new programs for more sophisticated attacks.

Experts say most devices are vulnerable and do not have advanced processors

which could include sophisticated encryptions.

Radcliffe, who wears an insulin pump, stated that, it can be used with a

remote control to administer insulin. After some effort, he was able to

reprogram it so that it would respond to another remote. He did that with a

USB device. He could see what data the computer with the USB device was

transmitting to the insulin pump and by tweaking the USB device he could

make the pump do more or less whatever he wanted.

The hacker needs to be within about two hundred feet from the patient,

plenty of distance for somebody walking around inside a hospital. Other

devices used by diabetes patients can also be altered remotely.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of

Massachusetts are developing jammers that can be worn: they claim they would

defend medical devices from the hacker's signals. Some have asked whether

this might not also stop doctors from doing their work remotely.

--

Ortiz, MS, RD

*The FRUGAL Dietitian* <http://www.thefrugaldietitian.com>

Check out my blog: mixture of deals and nutrition

Join me on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/TheFrugalDietitian?ref=ts>

* " If it works and research proven, it wouldn't be called Alternative " *

August 14, 2011

Hackers do it to prove they can in many cases...how many of our emails have

been hacked?? Also it would be a perfect way to commit harm....

>

> Isn't it a bit paranoyid though?

> Most of the medical equipment is computerised these days. Hacking to

> hospital chart of a VIP/celebrity - maybe of an interest to the tabloids.

> To hack to soemthing, you need internet connection. I don't think the

> insulin pumps or for that matter, mechanical ventilators, BP machins etc.

> are " open " for hacking. In addition, I don't see how hackers even have

> intersts in that. Hackers look for fame, to be on the news. I can see a

> " futuristic title " of " kid died of hypoglycemic shock due to hacking " but

> really? Breaking into the CIA/FBI/ big banks or Co. is the goal of hackers,

> insulin pump? I don't think so.

> Something is a bit disturbing here, but not on the hacking side, I think.

>

> Merav Levi, RD, MS, CDN

> A dietitian, not the food police.

>

> http://www.linkedin.com/in/meravlevi

>

> " Life is not measured by the number of breath you take, but by the moments

> that take your breath away. " - Carlin

> " People don't forget the truth, they just become better in lying "

> (Revolutionary Road)

>

> To: rd-usa

> From: nrord1@...

> Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:09:45 -0400

> Subject: Hackers Can Remotely Manipulate Insulin Pumps

>

> *To me this is disturbing....*

> *Insulin pumps are vulnerable to determined hackers who could also remotely

> mess up the readings of blood-sugar monitors, a security researcher who has

> diabetes revealed at the Black Hat computer security conference, Las Vegas,

> Nevada.*...

>

> In other words, a hacker could cause a diabetic patient to receive either

> too much or too little insulin.

>

> Jerome Radcliffe says he experimented on his own equipment. He suspects

> that

> other brands are probably just as vulnerable.

>

> Radcliffe stated that, " My initial reaction was that this was really cool

> from a technical perspective. " " The second reaction was one of maybe sheer

> terror, to know that there's no security around the devices which are a

> very

> active part of keeping me alive. "

> A growing number of medical devices these days are hooked up to

> communication systems so that doctors and other professionals can be

> involved in a patient's care from a distance. Examples include pacemakers,

> operating room monitors, and ICU equipment. In fact, some of these devices

> can be remotely controlled.

>

> So far, there have been no reports of hackers messing with medical devices

> used by diabetics. However, Radcliffe's findings should be of concern to

> medical device makers and those who buy and use them -- the potential is

> there.

>

> Even though attacks have been demonstrated on some devices, such as

> defibrillators and pacemakers, medical device companies say that these have

> been done by skilled professionals and cannot occur outside laboratory

> conditions. Perhaps they should check out the skills of some hackers around

> the world, some people have suggested.

>

> For hackers, hacking is a goal to reach. If medical devices come into their

> sights, and one person manages to mess with things, others might follow

> suit, even offering new programs for more sophisticated attacks.

>

> Experts say most devices are vulnerable and do not have advanced processors

> which could include sophisticated encryptions.

>

> Radcliffe, who wears an insulin pump, stated that, it can be used with a

> remote control to administer insulin. After some effort, he was able to

> reprogram it so that it would respond to another remote. He did that with a

> USB device. He could see what data the computer with the USB device was

> transmitting to the insulin pump and by tweaking the USB device he could

> make the pump do more or less whatever he wanted.

>

> The hacker needs to be within about two hundred feet from the patient,

> plenty of distance for somebody walking around inside a hospital. Other

> devices used by diabetes patients can also be altered remotely.

>

> Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of

> Massachusetts are developing jammers that can be worn: they claim they

> would

> defend medical devices from the hacker's signals. Some have asked whether

> this might not also stop doctors from doing their work remotely.

>

> --

> Ortiz, MS, RD

> *The FRUGAL Dietitian* <http://www.thefrugaldietitian.com>

> Check out my blog: mixture of deals and nutrition

> Join me on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/TheFrugalDietitian?ref=ts>

> * " If it works and research proven, it wouldn't be called Alternative " *

>

August 15, 2011

This will be a very begginer hacker. Hackers are the most advanced on IT access

and programing etc. Braking into something as simple (IT-wise) as an insuline

pump is " kindergarden matwerial to a hacker). Hacking to an insulin pump sound a

bit of science fiction to me, not because it is not possible technically but bc

it is not interesting, unless you told me our president is a diabetic on a pump,

then we might have a national security issue. But, as far as I know our

President is well and healthy