Ec-council Issues Warning On Possible Death By Wireless Security Breach

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Global Information Security Certification Institution EC-Council issued stern warnings about a lack of wireless security implemented by medical device manufacturers, after the American House Energy and Commerce Committee expressed concern about regulating the wireless security of medical devices.

Albuquerque, NM September 22, 2011 -- Manufacturers of medical devices need to tread carefully when implementing wireless technologies such as Bluetooth in their equipment, says EC-Council, a leading global information security expert. In high-risk industries such as healthcare, the smallest innocuous mistake may often turn fatal.

At the recent 2011 Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas,security researcher and Type1 diabetic Jerome Radcliffe demonstrated the vulnerabilities of his own wireless insulin pump and glucose meter by disrupting its operations through electronic interference. Although there was no real harm done, it was a clear example of how susceptible life-sustaining devices were to external influence.

This shocking demonstration showed a lack of awareness of such medical wireless security ...
... risks among legislators in the country,raising alarm among the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Soon after, Democratic Representatives Anna Eshoo and Ed Markey sent letters of concern to the Government Accountability Office, asking for a review of the safety screening policies of the Federal Communications Commission.

Jay Bavisi, the president of EC-Council, says; "The time for the industry to take wireless security seriously is long overdue ". He pointed out that although the medical industry had made great progress in new advancements such as adopting wireless technology,the security aspect of such emerging technologies was not sufficiently catching up.

The reliable security of such devices is paramount, he says, because "malfunctioning or defective devices do not merely result in user annoyance, but may cause severe injury or even death ".

He also listed the possibility of various defects, should the manufacturer be negligent. These include errors in design despite FDA approval, oversights during the actual manufacturing process, and overall failure to inform users and practitioners about potential dangers of using the device.

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), about 1.3 million Americans are seriously injured each year by adverse events involving medical products.

EC-Council offers certification courses on those seeking to further educate themselves on such health hazards. One is its "Wireless Safety " course, providing exposure to diverse wireless communication technologies while mapping them to real world applications. Additionally,it provides an overview of WAP(wireless application protocol), Bluetooth wireless security,and other such wireless security training.

About EC-Council:

The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) is a member-based organisation that certifies individuals in various e-business and information security skills. It is the owner and creator of the world-famous Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI), and as well as many other programs that are offered in over 60 countries through a global training network of more than 450 training partners. For more information on Bluetooth hacking training, visit http://www.eccouncil.org.

Contact Information

Leonard Chin

EC-Council

http://www.eccouncil.org

+1.505.341.3228