Can Your Pacemaker Be "Hacked"

In the last week of July 2013 , the largest convention of computer hackers met in Las Vegas. The major group called Black Hat consists of mostly "legal" hackers from all over the world who have hacked ATM machines, the Pentagon and other Electronic databases such as banks. Most of the hackers work for electronic and security firms by testing their security systems online. Even General Kieth Alexander head of the National Security Agency (NSA) was invited and gave an hour long speech to the conspicuous group of attendees. It appears that the government, particularly our intelligence agencies are desperately seeking "hackers" and recruiting them for the nation's top spy agencies! How interesting and coincidental. But, perhaps the biggest and brightest star of "hackers" in the world , Barnaby Jack, suddenly died approximately a week-and-a-half before the convention at the age of 36. Jack is the one who was made famous for being able to make ATM machines spit out cash with a device from remote distances. But, the genius-hacker had just demonstrated how electronic and other bio-medical devices made by companies such as Medtronic could be hacked into. For example, he was able to show how a hacker could "hack" into a patient's pacemaker device from remote distances by merely knowing or artificially making up passwords. Jack showed how the medical devices could be rendered useless or deliver alternate rhythms. The device could then be made to either stop the heart if the correct signal is sent. Not only this, Jack's hacking skill was capable of getting an implanted defibrillator to deliver electronic shocks from the hacker as well.

Another "expert hacker" Jay Radcliffe has shown how insulin pumps can also be hacked into remotely and deliver dangerous levels of insulin for an unsuspecting patient relying on such a device. As bio-medical devices become more reliant on "wi-fi" , new novel ways to hack into a person's device will become possible. He states that the digital inter-connected system makes these and other possibilities widespread in the future world. In a new Lifelock commercial, the company of electronic and digital files security shows a medical doctor who loses his laptop in a New York Taxi. The scenario could be a real possibility. While many feel that companies in the the digital security business are a real necessity, many critics are concerned with the massive build-up of companies who collect and store medical records of patients. Since the approval of the Affordable Care Act , it has been mandatory that medical practitioners such as physicians apply their offices with either new medical systems are completely new computers that allow them to download all of their patient records. These computers cost are not only costly but draw much concern for medical doctors who are hesistant about downloading all of their patient's records on digital files because of the risk of security such as hacking and also the risk of legal liability do to computer hacking as well. New computer medical records firms that collect medical records such as Serner in Kansas City, Missouri or Epic in Minneapolis,MN have compiled so much data , they are sill figuring out what to do with it. These companies have gathered hundreds of thousands of data on patients. At the time these companies are only "gatherers" but the logistics of utilizing this data will become ever more important and powerful in a new healthcare system that mandates healthcare purchase.If a biomedical or pharmaceutical company wanted to "pattern" the behavior of a patient or lifestyle it could use these data to predict purchasing and enhance their marketing. Then their is the little thing called blackmail. If a hacker wanted medical data of a certain individual , they could collect that data for nefarious purposes. The power of these types of companies and their potential use to serve or their vulnerability to computer hacking will also become prevalent in a "brave new world".