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"In my opinion, it would be highly unlikely to use to use standard wireless communication devices" to reprogram a biomedical device, said Fu. The programmer must be within a few inches of the device to obtain information or to change settings. While the information is transmitted wirelessly though radio waves which easily extend over large distances, a strong magnetic field -- much harder to extend -- must also be present. "If you were trying to generate that kind of field to reach 10 to 20 feet, you would probably kill them with radiation before you could hack it into their device," said Avi Rubin, a professor of computer science at the University of Maryland who was not involved in the research. Rubin's commercial company was the first group to hack the iPhone. A special device is also required to program the defibrillator, and while such a device can be manufactured, it took the researchers well over a year to assemble one. "I think it's interesting that they looked at this problem," said Rubin. "Too often industries look at devices without looking at security." The researchers urge device manufacturers to consider how to prevent the hacking of biomedical devices in their designs. For now, "I don't think people need to be worried," said Fu. "It's much better to have one of these devices than not. But we do need to assess how these devices will be used in the next 15 to 20 years." Related Links: |
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