In an experiment on a laboratory bench using wireless communication devices, doctors were able to download data to help monitor a patient's heart activity and send commands to the heart implants. Dr. William Maisel, lead author of the medical study, said a hacker could prevent the implant from helping the patient or instruct the pacemaker to change the heart's rhythm to the point of inducing a fatal shock.
Hackers could also get personal patient information such as the name and the medical identification number. The center will present its findings at a gathering on computer security on May. But the presentation will exclude some details that may help hackers gain access or control of implants.
Maisel advised implant recipients to check for an audible tone or a vibration as a warning that someone is trying to hack into their defibrillator. To help protect vital information from hackers Maisel suggested the development of an encryption method for such devices.
Maissel allayed fears of massive hacking incidents. He told the Boston Globe, "It's important to know that there has never even been a single reported episode of this type of malicious attack on a defibrillator."
Another problem besetting heart implant patients is the development of a staph infection on their pacemakers. According to Ana Lisa Chamis, a cardiology fellow at the Duke University Medical Center, if the staph infection takes place within one year the device was implanted, the entire pacemaker is infected. An infected cardiac device can cause serious ailment or even death.
