St. Jude Medical released a statement debunking a Muddy Waters Capital report that claimed the center's cardiac devices are susceptible to being hacked.
The statement refutes a number of allegations made by Muddy Waters. For example, the Muddy Waters report claims that St. Jude's device batteries can be depleted at a 50-foot range. St. Jude stated this not possible because after providers implant the device into a patient, wireless communication has a 7-foot range approximately.
Additionally, the Muddy Waters report claims that St. Jude's cardiac devices could be susceptible to "crash" attacks, which could impair the devices. However, St. Jude notes that "the report has little detail on this simulation and includes many inconsistencies."
St. Jude Medical also notes several independent organizations and researchers including Deloitte and Optiv have evaluated and assessed the software.
"Patient safety has always been our top priority and we have every reason to believe our devices are safe. Because we recognize cybersecurity is a concern for patients, it is also a priority for St. Jude Medical," according to the statement.