Medical instruments could turn lethal if subject to cyber crime, tech expert warns

Cyber criminals will have the capability of hacking into computer systems at hospitals and turning vital tools into deadly weapons, according to an employee of tech security company Kaspersky.

He said that the criminals may know already how to hack into the vital systems that connect hospital devices, machines, and computers.

Further, should they find a way to hack into the intranet, it is possible they could control any instruments that are linked to it.

Kaspersky Labs’ Sergey Lozhkin said:

“Imagine a girl who goes into hospital to be treated for a skin condition on her face.

“There are a number of devices which could help her, including a cosmetic laser.

“But if someone hacked this instrument, it could be made more powerful and turned into a laser weapon.”

Hackers are also able to easily get their hands on patient records. They could potentially use these as blackmail against patients who would prefer to keep their illnesses from their family and friends.

The researchers further revealed that over 300 vulnerabilities were found in hospitals in the UK, and that hackers could locate and exploit such wide open security holes.

The NHS clearly needs help when it comes to cyber security, but that’s the case with most industries in the light of ever-evolving intelligence in the world of cyber crime. If there is to be a concerted effort to combat yet more potential attacks, it’s time we saw more cyber security jobs in these industries.