October 22, 2018

Good Morning,

It seems that medical devices are in danger of cyber attacks. The FDA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are working to together to not only improve the security of medical devices, but to determine possible threats to our medical history and information.

Learn about this and more interesting stories from the scientific community in today's issue.

Until Next Time,
Erin

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*-- FDA seeks to strengthen cybersecurity of medical devices --*

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in an attempt to improve cybersecurity of medical devices, announced Wednesday is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for better coordination and cooperation involving possible threats.

The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health and DHS' Office of Cybersecurity and Communications hope to share information about potential or confirmed medical device cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threats, according to an FDA press release.

Medical devices, like other computer systems, can be vulnerable to security breaches, the FDA noted in tips posted on its website for October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Medical devices. These devices are increasingly connected to the Internet, hospital networks and to other medical devices.

"As innovation in medical devices advances and more devices are connected to hospital networks or to other devices, ensuring that devices are adequately protected against cyber intrusions is paramount to protecting patients," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the FDA commissioner, said in a statement Wednesday. "This agreement demonstrates our commitment to confronting cybersecurity risks and the unscrupulous cybercriminals who may seek to put patient lives at risk."

HHS wants to utilize its resources to assist the FDA.

"DHS has some of the top experts on control systems technology, and we look forward to continuing to leverage this expertise for the sake of improving the lives and safety of people across the country," said Christopher Krebs, DHS undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate. "DHS has enjoyed a great working relationship with the FDA for several years and look forward to this agreement making that working relationship even stronger and more effective."

The two agencies have worked together on medical device cybersecurity, including the coordination of vulnerability disclosures. Medical device manufacturers can receive technical information from cybersecurity researchers regarding identified vulnerabilities.

In addition, the agencies "have collaborated on planning, executing and conducting after-action reviews of DHS-led exercises that simulate real-world cybersecurity attacks and enable the government and stakeholders to practice and improve their responses to these threats," according to a press release.

Part of the plan is to coordinate testing of devices as warranted.

The FDA said it has "taken significant steps to create an environment of shared responsibility between government agencies, industry, healthcare delivery organizations and cybersecurity researchers."

Since 2015, the FDA has issued five product-specific safety communications on cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The include confirmed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Abbott's implantable cardiac devices and implantable cardiac pacemakers, Merlin's home transmitter of implanted cardiac devices, and Hospira's and Symbiq's infusion systems of medication or anesthetic.

* Chemists design world's first high-temperature single-molecule magnet *

Scientists have designed and synthesized a high-temperature single-molecule magnet, the first of its kind. The breakthrough could inspire more efficient digital storage technologies for use in quantum computers.

Single-molecule magnets, or SMMs, are metalorganic compounds that store magnetic information for long periods of time. The behavior of of SMMs reveals the influence of a magnetic field long after the magnetic field has been turned off or removed.

But each SMM only works below a specific "blocking temperature," limiting their potential. The new SMM, designed by a team of scientists from China, England and Finland, features a blocking temperature of 80 Kelvin.

Until now, all single-molecule magnets required liquid-nitrogen cooling to their demonstrate magnetic memory effects. The new SSM, a dysprosium metallocene cation, works at temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen.

Of course, the boiling point of liquid nitrogen is still much colder than room temperature. But as stated in a new paper published in the journal Science, the breakthrough has moved scientists closer to the "development of nanomagnet devices that function at practical temperatures."

"Our new result is a milestone that overcomes a major obstacle to developing new molecular information storage materials and we are excited about the prospects for advancing the field even further," Richard Layfield, professor of chemistry at the University of Sussex, said in a news release.

Scientists think an SMM that operates at practical temperatures could be used to build microprocessors for quantum computers.


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