Cyber Round Up: US Government Investigates Cyber Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices; DOJ Creates New Roles for Cybersecurity; Israeli Start-up Provides New Method for Early Detection of Cyber Attacks; China’s Cybersecurity Stance at Upcoming Summit; Obama’s Order to Cut Identity Theft Signals Further Need for Cybersecurity Legislation
While there are no known instances of hackers attacking patients through medical devices, the Department of Homeland Security is working with manufacturers to identify and repair software coding bugs and other vulnerabilities that hackers can potentially use to expose confidential data or attack hospital equipment, according to a report by Reuters. According to the report, the concern is that malicious actors may try to gain control of the devices remotely and create problems, such as instructing an infusion pump to overdose a patient with drugs, or forcing a heart implant to deliver a deadly jolt of electricity.
Federal Times reports that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has restructured its National Security Division (NSD) and made new appointments to refocus efforts on cybersecurity, specifically as related to state-sponsored cyber terrorism and espionage. For the full report, click here, and for our own coverage, here.
“Walls can’t protect you anymore. In this new world a new security paradigm is needed,” Chief Executive Mark Gazit said about the new Israeli Start-up company ThetaRay, in a Reuters report. Reuters reports that after spending nearly a decade of research to develop algorithms that analyze massive amounts of data and can detect an anomaly immediately, two professors created the ThetaRay program which uses algorithms to take any type of data, analyze it in real time and detect where a cyber threat is present.
The Hill reports that China is taking a tough public line on cybersecurity ahead of a summit next month to be attended by President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. For an in-depth report on recent hostilities over cybersecurity between the United States and China, as well as summit predictions, read the full article here.
Time reports that President Obama signed an executive order Friday to improve security measures for government credit and debit cards, equipping them with microchips in place of the standard magnetic strips and PINs. According to the report, the White House also called on Congress to pass data breach and cybersecurity legislation, writing in a statement that “The current patchwork of laws governing a company’s obligations in the event of a data breach is unsustainable, and helps no one.”
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