The majority of healthcare providers (56 percent) and medical device manufacturers (67 percent) believe an attack on one of their medical devices is likely within the next year, according to a Ponemon Institute survey.
The survey, sponsored by Synopsys, details responses from roughly 550 manufacturer and provider representatives whose roles involve medical device security. These devices include radiation equipment, robots and diagnostic and monitoring tools.
Here are five survey findings.
1. Eighty percent of both providers and manufacturers said medical devices are difficult to secure. Providers (58 percent) and manufacturers (53 percent) agreed a lack of quality assurance and testing procedures are key issues with securing devices.
2. The majority of providers (53 percent) said they do not test medical devices for security. Forty-three percent of manufacturers reported the same.
3. Five percent of providers and 9 percent of manufacturers said they test medical device security at least once a year.
4. Fifteen percent of providers reported taking "significant steps" to prevent medical device attacks, compared to 17 percent of manufacturers.
5. One-third of providers and manufacturers said they don't have a designated person or function in their organization responsible for medical device security.
Click here to view the full report.