The threat of 275M Exams Still Vulnerable, Medical Imaging Groups Call for PACS Security Checks

The Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance encourages healthcare providers to review picture archiving as well as communication systems related to vulnerabilities after the latest warnings received from federal healthcare experts.

Approximately two weeks prior, the Department of Health and Human Services raised an alert that indicated that over 275 million medical-related imaging is now exposed as a result of unsecured PACS. HHS also claims 130 healthcare organizations are operating vulnerable systems, stating DICOM issues as well as security lapses.

Now, MITA urges that institutions should assess the security practices to ensure a sturdy cybersecurity strategy right in place across this entire enterprise.

Patrick Hope, Executive Director, said in his statement, “It is important for health delivery services to take necessary steps and mitigate their exposure to common cybersecurity threats.” He also added, “We encourage organizations to evaluate their security documentation available with the PACS system – like the Manufacturer Disclosure Statement for Medical Device Security (MDS2) – and determine the best way of deploying the equipment safely and securely.”

Disclosure statements further detail all standardized information to ensure features of security control are integrated within the medical devices. In addition, manufacturers also provide details of product-specific MDS2s.

MITA also suggests proper DICOM file scanning with anti-virus software and incorporate potentially insider threats in the system-wide cybersecurity programs.

Any health services or organization that believes PACS could be vulnerable must seek help from the original manufacturer.

Hope said, “The original manufacturer of equipment is positioned to assess the risk factors posed by potential vulnerabilities and deliver validated mitigations or remediation where appropriate.”

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