Could a hacker expose a patient to excessive radiation during a CT scan? Maybe
Think about security breaches in healthcare and you might imagine patient information—Social Security numbers, addresses, insurance information, etc. But one recent article by the U.K.-based The Register explores possible implications for medical imaging devices.
The article cites a report from February that claimed CT scanners could be a top target for malware. Patients could be exposed to additional radiation from complications at a workstation.
"This file is basically a list of instructions that the control unit gives to the CT in order to tell it how exactly to perform the scan, including how to move the motors, the duration, the radiation levels and more," says Tom Mahler, one of the report's lead authors. "By manipulating these files, an attacker can potentially control exactly how the CT will work. This could be very dangerous and lead to radiation overdose, injury and possibly death."
Hackers could also disrupt the handling of images after exams, which would have consequences that would not be apparent to the CT operator.
Read the full story here:
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.