Health security

Thousands of medical devices are vulnerable to hacking, security researchers say

Next time you go for an MRI scan, remember that the doctor might not be the only one who sees your results.

Thousands of medical devices, including MRI scanners, x-ray machines and drug infusion pumps, are vulnerable to hacking, creating significant health risks for patients, security researchers said this week.

The risks arise partly because medical equipment is increasingly connected to the Internet so that data can be fed into electronic patient records systems, said researcher Scott Erven, who presented his findings with fellow researcher Mark Collao at theDerbyCon security conference.