The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs will partner with Underwriters Laboratories, a global safety science organization based in Northbrook, Ill., to improve cybersecurity for medical devices through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.
This CRADA project aims to promote veterans' patient safety and security by addressing the current gap in the market regarding cybersecurity standards and practical certification approaches for network-connected medical devices.
The VA plans to use and verify Underwriter Laboratories' Cybersecurity Assurance Program, which offers testable cybersecurity criteria for network-connected medical devices to assess software vulnerabilities and weaknesses, minimize exploitation, address known malware and review security controls.
The Cybersecurity Assurance Program was recognized by the U.S. White House Cybersecurity National Action Plan as a productive method to test devices used in the energy, utility and healthcare fields.
The CRADA project will be completed in December 2016.
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