Medical devices in the Netherlands vulnerable to cyber attacks

• 12 November, 2021
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More than two thousand medical devices in the Netherlands are not sufficiently secured. Z-CERT , the expertise center for cybersecurity in healthcare, reports this. Hackers may be able to digitally take over and disable the devices. Ventilation systems, blood pressure monitors and infusion pumps are, among others, vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Research agency Forescout discovered vulnerabilities in the Nucleus NET software. This software is used, among other things, in medical equipment from Siemens.

Researchers simulated a cyber attack that allowed them to take control of a ventilation system and a smart lamp in an operating room. The devices could then be turned off. A total of 5,500 devices are equipped with this software, of which 2,233 are used by Dutch healthcare providers.

Z-CERT has advised healthcare organizations to contact their suppliers. According to Siemens, a security update is available. The expertise center says it is monitoring the situation and investigating the possible impact of the vulnerabilities.