From the article: "Computerized hospital equipment is increasingly vulnerable
to malware infections, according to participants in a recent government panel.
These infections can clog patient-monitoring equipment and other software
systems, at times rendering the devices temporarily inoperable….
Software-controlled medical equipment has become
increasingly interconnected in recent years, and many systems run on variants
of Windows, a common target for hackers elsewhere. The devices are usually
connected to an internal network that is itself connected to the Internet, and
they are also vulnerable to infections from laptops or other device brought
into hospitals. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that manufacturers often
will not allow their equipment to be modified, even to add security features." Read more
