The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology released new draft guidance titled Securing Wireless Infusion Pumps in Healthcare Delivery Organizations.
Many medical devices, such as infusion pumps, were once standalone instruments only accessed by patients and providers. Now, internet-linked infusion pumps connect to various systems and networks, which can leave protected health information vulnerable to unauthorized access, according to the draft guidance.
To reduce the risk of cyberbreaches, NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence analyzed risk factors and vulnerabilities around the infusion pump ecosystem, such as lack of asset inventory or improperly encrypted data. The center developed an example of a secure wireless infusion pump implementation, using commercially-available cybersecurity technologies to address these issues.
Click here to view the draft guidance.