Introduction
The Institute of Security Science and Technology (ISST) is holding a breakfast briefing event to discuss the cyber security of health care and medical devices.
This event, held under the Chatham House Rule, will convene academic, industry and policy stakeholders to introduce and discuss key themes on the subject.
Professor Chris Hankin, Co-Director ISST, will introduce and chair the event, with a further short briefing from Professor Emil Lupu, Q&A, and time for networking.
For more information on this event please contact Duncan Swinscow-Hall (d.swinscow-hall@imperial.ac.uk)
Subject background
Network connected devices in health care promise to simultaneously improve patient care, understanding of diseases and efficiencies of use. The spectrum of devices is broad, including infusion pumps, MRI scanners, implantable defibrillators, drug delivery systems, and potentially even biodegradable sensors.
However, the security risks of such systems are also significant, poorly considered and not mitigated. Existing systems are vulnerable, the regulatory infrastructure is insufficient and new devices are being researched and developed without adequate security provisions.
Cyber security of medical devices is often traded-off against safety, usability, form factors or power consumption. Security needs to be addressed within different use contexts that depend on the patient health, the situation, and the interactions with other devices, services and people, medical or not.
As such, addressing the security challenges of medical devices requires a concerted effort that simultaneously tackles its current and future needs. These should be considered across research, development, regulation and policy making, and in the interests of the patient as well as the clinical infrastructure.
About the speakers
Professor Chris Hankin (event Chair) is a Co-Director of the Institute for Security Science and Technology and a Professor of Computing Science. His research is in cyber security, data analytics and semantics-based program analysis. He is actively involved in policy issues around cyber security.
Professor Emil Lupu is Professor of Computer Systems at Imperial College London. He is Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, an Associate Director with the ISST and Deputy Director of PETRAS IoT Security Research Hub. His research interests focus on the cyber security and resilience of systems including their physical, digital and human characteristics and their ability to continue operating even when they have been partially compromised.
Scott Lester is a Principal Security Researcher at Context Information Security, a cyber-security consultancy that specialises in security research, penetration testing, incident response, and advisory services. Context’s Research team have tested the security of a wide range of devices, from consumer IoT devices to network-connected enterprise and industrial kit. Scott has a background in electronics and security, and has working in a range of security and digital forensics jobs.