Insulin pumps, monitors vulnerable to hacking

Source: AP

By JORDAN ROBERTSON

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Even the human bloodstream isn't safe from computer hackers.

A security researcher who is diabetic has identified flaws that could allow an attacker to remotely control insulin pumps and alter the readouts of blood-sugar monitors. As a result, diabetics could get too much or too little insulin, a hormone they need for proper metabolism.

Jay Radcliffe, a diabetic who experimented on his own equipment, shared his findings with The Associated Press before releasing them Thursday at the Black Hat computer security conference in Las Vegas.

"My initial reaction was that this was really cool from a technical perspective," Radcliffe said. "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."

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110804/D9OTE36O2.html

Security in the whole field is kind of a joke. I can't even recall how many times I've been in a room, alone, at a local hospital, with a terminal guarded only by a password.

Doctor comes in, does *not* check their computer equipment, and just blindly punches in a password....

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=USB+keylogger&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14338577277231035928&sa=X&ei=zFE7TtTuGaXUiALfu7n2Cw&ved=0CHQQ8wIwAQ

Yeah. Don't provide *access* to mischief, unless you want it.

he went to the hospital and got admitted for the night.

When they turned on hise heart monitor it played the Windows XP startup sound from its little speaker.

:wow:

I'm not joking.

People are honestly worried about cutting medicare/medicaid costs, but take any computer hacker/geek to a hospital, and they can likely save thousands in seconds, millions in hours.

Their IT is disgusting, 1980's, crap. (I especially love it when they spend thousands to turn a $3,000 computer into a $100 one).

I rely on good old-fashioned injections. Anyone caught hacking a device like this should be put into hypoglycemic shock so they can see how enjoyable it is.

I have an implanted morphine pump for pain. A small measured dose of the drug goes right into my spine. A malfunction or hack could easily cause an OD. I'm sure it's telemetry is very similar to the insulin pumps. I'm going to have to ask my doctor about this.

victims knew their killers.

If it is possible someone will come up with a way for remote monitoring with a smart phone and that would be a two way street,

News of the World no longer has an obit page to keep filled.