FDA issues new alert on Medtronic insulin pump security

The list of connected devices susceptible to attacks has now expanded once again, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert on June 27 waring that some insulin pumps from Medtronic are vulnerable to hackers, who could remotely gain access to and control them. In the alert, FDA notes that Medtronic’s MiniMed 508 and MiniMed Paradigm series insulin pumps, which have been recalled by the companies, are susceptible to remote access. The company "has identified 4,000 patients who are potentially using insulin pumps that are vulnerable to this issue," according to the FDA, and is "working with distributor partners to identify additional patients potentially using these pumps." The risks have to do with wireless communication between the MiniMed pumps and other devices such as blood glucose meters, continuous glucose monitoring systems and other medical devices, according to the agency.