Johnson & Johnson has issued a formal warning to over 110,000 patients that its Animas OneTouch Ping insulin pump, if left unencrypted, could be hacked and result in a potential overdose of insulin to a diabetic patient. This is the first time a medical device manufacturer has issued such a warning.
The company has stated that it is not aware of any actual hacking of the devices and that the risk itself is extremely low, given that the pump is not connected to the Internet and could only be hacked within a proximity of 25 feet. In addition to the warning, Johnson & Johnson also provided step-by-step advice to patients on how to protect their devices.
Given the proliferation of the Internet of Things, this warning may be just the first of many from manufacturers of medical and other types of smart and connected devices. Read more about the warning here. Contact us at Ossian Law regarding any information technology law matter.