Skip to main content

The FDA wants medical device manufacturers to be proactive about cybersecurity

The medical revolution that has arisen at the intersection of health care and technology has doctors and patients alike celebrating, but this age of increased connectivity carries with it a few risks. To address the potential dangers of connected medical devices, the Food and Drug Administration has recently released a draft guidance aimed at helping medical device manufacturers keep their patients safe and the public health protected. According to the press release about the new guidelines, the document “details the agency’s recommendations for monitoring, identifying, and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in medical devices once they have entered the market.”

The guidance marks the latest in the FDA’s continued attempts to guard against cybersecurity risks, which have become all the more prevalent in recent years. And given the huge amount of sensitive information these devices could contain, it’s imperative that users are kept safe.

Recommended Videos

“All medical devices that use software and are connected to hospital and health care organizations’ networks have vulnerabilities — some we can proactively protect against, while others require vigilant monitoring and timely remediation,” said the FDA’s Suzanne Schwartz, who serves as the associate director for science and strategic partnerships and acting director of emergency preparedness/operations and medical countermeasures. “Today’s draft guidance will build on the FDA’s existing efforts to safeguard patients from cyber threats by recommending medical device manufacturers continue to monitor and address cybersecurity issues while their product is on the market.”

While there are no legal implications involved with the new guidelines, the FDA is urging manufacturers everywhere to remain vigilant about their products — companies should take steps to monitor and assess risk, disclose vulnerabilities, and do everything they can to be proactive about fighting cybersecurity issues.

Said Schwartz, “Only when we work collaboratively and openly in a trusted environment, will we be able to best protect patient safety and stay ahead of cybersecurity threats.”

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
GlassesUSA Black Friday Sale: Get 30% off prescription glasses
GlassesUSA frames close up with multiple styles.

Need a new pair of glasses? Want to stock up for your holiday trips before you head to meet up with your relatives? Typically, you'd have to wait until the official Black Friday event, the day after Thanksgiving, or maybe even Cyber Monday, but that's not the case this year. Alongside a variety of the best online glasses deals, GlassesUSA is hosting a huge Black Friday sale early, allowing you to save big on prescription glasses and frames with no waiting necessary. Of course, we always recommend browsing the sale of your own accord to see what's discounted because we couldn't possibly cover everything, nor could we know precisely what you're looking for. That said, we've called out quite a few of the best deals below.

Shop Now

Read more
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deals you can shop now
Daughter gifting Ancestry Gift Membership to family

DNA tests are awesome holiday gifts for your family. Together you can all build your family tree and discover your genetic makeup. Unfortunately the tests are pretty expensive, but at least you only need to test once. There are some nice Black Friday deals going on today that will save you a significant amount of money on single tests or bundles. Check out our favorite below, then more more deals worth checking out under that.
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deal
AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit -- $59, was $99

The single person AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit is our pick for the best Black Friday deal already available. The kit normally costs $99, but right now it's down to just $59. That's a nice discount of $30 on one of the best DNA tests available. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so you should grab it soon.

Read more
The 5 best DNA test kits for 2024
We spit in a ton of test tubes to find the best and most unique DNA tests
A 23andme DNA kit.

Despite the fact that tons of competitors have sprung up in recent years, 23AndMe still makes the best DNA test on the market. It's the quickest, it's very comprehensive, and the way the company presents your genetic data is simple and easy to digest. However, depending on what kind of information you're looking for, there are other, more specialized DNA tests that might be better suited for you. Whether it's ancestry, fitness, disease risk, or something else entirely, there's likely a DNA kit that'll uncover that data.

With the rising popularity of these tests, we decided to take a closer look and see which ones are worth the investment. To do this, we secured a mail-in kit from as many DNA testing services as we could find, then shipped them a spit tube full of our precious genetic code for analysis. After looking through all the data and personally trying all of these services, there were a few that stood out from the pack. Here are our favorites:
The best DNA test kit in 2024

Read more