The new program has three primary components:
- Participation with government agencies, industry associations, and security researchers and their efforts to enhance cybersecurity in healthcare;
- Collaborating with UL to use the ANSI UL 2900 cybersecurity standard and participate in the UL Cybersecurity Cooperative Research and Development Agreement; and
- A cybersecurity vendor certification program where BD verifies third-party security technologies that are compatible with its products and perform as indicated.
“Intelligent and connected medical technologies have transformed how healthcare providers diagnose and treat patients,” said Rob Suarez, director of Product Security for BD. “As cyber attacks become more sophisticated and attempt to find vulnerabilities through an interconnected health system, medical technology companies, healthcare providers, and government agencies need to collaborate even more to protect patients.”
As part of its participation with government agencies, BD is participating in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Secure Wireless Infusion Pump Program and created a white paper for secure design and architecture. The company also contributed to the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force to produce recommendations on how to improve cybersecurity across the healthcare industry. For any potential vulnerabilities in BD products, the company has made a strong commitment to coordinate vulnerability disclosure through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (NH-ISAC). This commitment also extends to the Department of Homeland Security National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), which acts through the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) to provide expertise on control systems-related security incidents and mitigations.
BD is using ANSI UL 2900 as part of its design and development process to minimize risks and help reduce exploitation, address known malware, enhance security controls, and expand security awareness. UL has expertise in safety science, standards development, testing and certification, and worked with industry to develop UL 2900 to help manufacturers address cybersecurity vulnerabilities. BD has also volunteered to participate in the UL Cybersecurity Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), a program established to help improve the nation’s cybersecurity. The CRADA project will support improvement in patient safety and security through the use and verification of UL’s Cybersecurity Assurance Program (CAP).
For third-party cybersecurity products to receive certification, BD employs a rigorous evaluation of the technology to ensure it is compatible with BD products and performs as indicated. The certifications specify which BD products were tested and passed the evaluation so biomedical technicians will have reassurance that the third-party software is compatible with the specified BD product and does not interfere with the operation of the device. In some situations, BD is taking a unique approach with security technology companies by tailoring their solutions to the specific needs of BD products in a healthcare setting.
Inaugural members of the cybersecurity technology certification program include Attivo Networks and Cylance. BD has verified for certain BD products that the BOTsink Solution from Attivo Networks provides an effective method for distributed deception and decoy solution for early threat detection, and CylancePROTECT, uses next-generation machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide a powerful next-generation anti-malware technology.
