FDA Reads Riot Act to Device Makers

From Network World:

AUSTIN, TEXAS - Amid growing concern about security in hospital patient-care systems, the federal agency that regulates medical devices last week announced a get-tough policy to improve equipment safety.

Medical devices such as ultrasound and radiology systems often rely on commercial off-the-shelf software, including Windows and Unix, that requires continuous patching for security. But increasingly, hospital IT administrators are voicing complaints that manufacturers are failing to patch Windows-based equipment quickly or at all, which then fall prey to computer worms. This not only disrupts hospital operations but poses a potential safety hazard to patients.

Read the whole article here.

It's about damn time.