FDA Issues Cybersecurity Warning for Medical Devices

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on Tuesday over vulnerabilities detected in decades-old software being used by many medical devices and hospital networks. The 11 vulnerabilities exist in IPnet, a third-party software component that supports network communications between computers. If exploited, the vulnerabilities could allow hackers to remotely control a medical device, change its function, obstruct service, or trigger information leaks that could stop it from working. Makers of the original IPnet software, Interpeak, no longer support it, but some manufacturers have a license to use it without support, meaning it could be incorporated into other software applications, equipment, and systems still in use in medical devices.