Plugging the Holes in Healthcare Data Security
Posted by | September 15, 2016
Today, it’s rare to go a week without reading a story in the news about hackers finding and/or exploiting security vulnerabilities in a healthcare setting. Usually it involves the theft of patient data records for use in identity theft, where there is clear financial motivation.
But it is becoming more common for medical devices themselves to be hacked, either as an entry point into a hospital network, or simply as a demonstration of the lack of security protections included in these devices. This uptick in attacks has contributed to greater demand for solutions that improve patient safety and secure health records. The FDA has responded accordingly, calling for device manufacturers to strengthen their software security.
At MedCrypt, we’re taking the first step towards eliminating current and future vulnerabilities in healthcare. We’re making standard cryptographic functions available to medical device developers via an easy-to-use API. In turn, we’re able to proactively monitor transactions between users and devices, and alert device vendors when we detect suspicious behavior.
Our goal? To reform the way device manufacturers design products for the healthcare industry.
Battling cyber threats begins at the design phase. As healthcare becomes increasingly reliant on networked computer systems, vendors need to adopt security technologies and best practices similar to those that have been implemented in the finance and defense industries.
Hackers tend to look for the easiest targets, just like burglars tend to look for homes with unlocked doors. Let’s lock the doors on healthcare.
For more information on MedCrypt, here are some recent articles that were published following the company’s $750,000 seed round funding announcement:
- Philadelphia Business Journal — “Medical device cybersecurity software company raises $750K in seed funding“
- Philadelphia Inquirer — “Safeguard backs MedCrypt to block hackers from your pacemaker“
- San Diego Union-Tribune — “Cyber start-up MedCrypt raises $750,000“
- Technical.ly — “Safeguard Scientifics latest bet: $750K on health IT company MedCrypt“
Guest Blog Post By: Mike Kijewski, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, MedCrypt
