Health IT firm develops system to track, share info on hackers

Ransomware has developed into a growing threat for the medical industry, except that healthcare providers can’t treat these problems so easily. In an effort to fight data-stealing hackers, MedCrypt has recently raised $750,000 to develop new means of protection.

The FDA has urged software and device producers to help build up security over the healthcare space. MedCrypt, a team of medical device and cryptography experts, hopes to answer the call.

MedCrypt has developed technology that may be capable of flagging unusual behavior the moment it happens. It also has a “Threat Sharing” feature that alerts necessary parties about possible threats. These features are compatible with a range of medical devices such as MRIs and heart monitors, making Threat Sharing even more important when a possible breach can is discovered. This can help the speed and efficacy of health IT personnel.

"The increased use of, and dependency on, connected devices at hospitals and health systems has revealed security risks and vulnerabilities, consequently putting patient safety at risk," said Mike Kijewski, co-founder and CEO of MedCrypt. "While it's distressing to think about a hacker remotely disabling a medical device, it's far more unnerving to consider a hacker silently taking over a device and sending it malicious instructions. ... MedCrypt's software allows manufacturers to authenticate users, encrypt data and cryptographically sign settings and patient prescriptions."