As the number of medical devices continues to rise, and as more of our patient records become digitized, getting security right will be critical. Reports of devices such as the Medtronic pacemakers being vulnerable to potentially life-threatening cyberattacks should act as clear warnings of what could happen if robust cybersecurity measures are neglected. From cost reduction and increased efficiency, to supporting a healthier life, there’s no denying that technology’s application in healthcare is improving the patient journey. At the same time, however, security needs to be enforced and improved at the manufacturer level, including introducing digital birth certificates into devices right from the start. Only then can we mitigate the potential damage medical attacks can cause in the future.


About the author: John Grimm is the senior director of IoT security strategy at Thales eSecurity, an industry leader in advanced data security solutions. His 25 years of experience in the information security field began as a systems/firmware engineer building secure cryptographic key distribution systems. He has held leadership roles at companies in multiple areas of cybersecurity, including identity management, networking, PKI, cloud, encryption and key management. John received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a fellow of the Ponemon Institute, and a member of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.


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