On July 2, 2019, Central Drug Standard Control Organization
(CDSCO) issued an alert for insulin pumps manufactured by Medtronic
for its potential cybersecurity risk which can be a serious health
hazard for the patient, as the insulin pump can be accessed and
controlled by another person by compromising the cybersecurity.
Background of Cybersecurity Risk
The CDSCO alert is followed by the United States Food and Drug
Administration (US FDA) warning letter, which said that certain
Medtronic MiniMed insulin pumps are being withdrawn from market due
to potential cybersecurity risks. However, no such reports of
unauthorized persons changing settings or controlling insulin
delivery has been confirmed. Now the alert issued by CDSCO clearly
describes the risks associated with the use of the device.
According to the CDSCO alert cybersecurity risk allows an
unauthorized person with special technical skills to connect to a
nearby insulin pump wirelessly, and then take control