Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Cybersecurity and cardiac implantable electronic devices

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 17, pages 315–317 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities of cardiac implantable electronic devices have been an area of increasing concern in the past 4 years. Physicians should be informed of these issues as they evolve so they can counsel their patients with the most accurate and up-to-date information.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Timeline of cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified for CIEDs.

References

  1. Alexander, B., Haseeb, S. & Baranchuk, A. Are implanted electronic devices hackable? Trends Cardiovasc. Med. 29, 476–480 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ransford, B. et al. Cybersecurity and medical devices: a practical guide for cardiac electrophysiologists. PACE - Pacing Clin. Electrophysiol. 40, 913–917 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. FDA. Firmware update to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified in Abbott’s (formerly St. Jude Medical’s) implantable cardiac pacemakers: FDA safety communication. FDA https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/firmware-update-address-cybersecurity-vulnerabilities-identified-abbotts-formerly-st-jude-medicals (2017).

  4. Baranchuk, A. et al. Cybersecurity for cardiac implantable electronic devices. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 71, 1284–1288 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Baranchuk, A., Refaat, M. M., Chung, M. K., Fisher, J. D. & Lakkireddy, D. Cyberattacks and cardiac devices: firmware patches are not vaccinations! J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 72, 127–128 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Slotwiner, D. J. et al. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities of cardiac implantable electronic devices: communication strategies for clinicians-Proceedings of the Heart Rhythm Society’s Leadership Summit. Heart Rhythm 15, e61–e67 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Saxon, L. A., Varma, N., Epstein, L. M., Ganz, L. I. & Epstein, A. E. Factors influencing the decision to proceed to firmware upgrades to implanted pacemakers for cybersecurity risk mitigation. Circulation 138, 1274–1276 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Baranchuk, A. et al. Pacemaker cybersecurity. Circulation 138, 1272–1273 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. FDA. Cybersecurity updates affecting Medtronic implantable cardiac device programmers: FDA safety communication. FDA https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm623184.htm (2018).

  10. Alexander, B. et al. ICD-cybersecurity. Circ. Arrhythmia Electrophysiol. 13, e008261 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    Bryce Alexander & Adrian Baranchuk

Authors
  1. Bryce Alexander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adrian Baranchuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adrian Baranchuk.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

A.B. has received two unrestricted grants from Abbott to conduct clinical research relating to cardiac implantable electronic device cybersecurity. B.A. declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Alexander, B., Baranchuk, A. Cybersecurity and cardiac implantable electronic devices. Nat Rev Cardiol 17, 315–317 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-020-0372-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-020-0372-1

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing