Medtronic began using software to protect pacemakers from hacker attacks

In mid-April 2021, Medtronic announced a collaboration with the Israeli company Sternum, which began to supply the partner with software to protect pacemakers from hacker attacks.

The problem was not the medical devices themselves, but the remote systems used to update the devices. Hackers could exploit the vulnerability of the device not only to harm the patient, but also as a gateway to enter the hospital network. The number of data leaks turned out to be a record in the health sector - it accounted for 79% of all recorded cybersecurity violations in 2020.

Disconnecting pacemakers from the Internet created a number of new problems, but the Sternum solution allows medical devices to protect themselves in real time.

Medtronic began using Sternum software to protect pacemakers from hacker attacks

There is an endless race on the cybersecurity front: when a company discovers a new problem, they need to release an update, but until then, devices remain vulnerable to hackers. We have created an autonomous security system that works inside the device and can protect it without the need for constant updates, "explained Natali Tshuva, founder and CEO of Sternum.

Sternum also launched the IoT platform, which allows "devices to protect themselves even when they are not connected to the Internet." In addition, Sternum offers cybersecurity services for IoT devices outside of healthcare. According to Tshuv, the company focuses on areas that are "critical" to the development of any country. Among other things, the startup provides sensors and control systems for the railway infrastructure, as well as monitoring systems for electrical networks.^[1]

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