FDA to address hacking risk for medical devices

{mosads}The Government Accountability Office report said no incidents of medical device hacking are known to have occurred outside the laboratory.

But its authors urged the FDA to consider the possibility as it approves new devices.

“I welcome the FDA’s tightening of security standards for medical devices capable of connecting to each other, hospital networks and the Internet,” Eshoo said in a statement Friday.

“Medical devices have resulted in tremendous benefits, but the demonstrated risk from malicious hackers that comes with enhanced connectivity requires a more stringent effort by the FDA and manufacturers to identify, evaluate and plug the potentially serious security holes that exist.”

Among the devices listed by the GAO as potentially vulnerable are pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators and certain insulin pumps.

Eshoo co-leads the House Medical Technology Caucus and serve as top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Markey is currently running for the Senate.