What’s there to report? Yesterday, John McNeil di on the street. He was a witness in a drug case. He had a long history of heart problems, and he us a pacemaker from the J company. There were no signs of trouble. His death could have been consider natural, but here’s what’s interesting. He di at the worst possible time.
The hearing was suppos to be on
Monday, that been deliver is, tomorrow, and he is one of the key witnesses. According to the doctor who perform the autopsy, his death was not accidental. John’s heart suddenly start beating rapidly, and that was the cause of death. We don’t know what caus it. We only know that his pacemaker can be controll remotely, which is why we call you.
– Good.? Call a representative of the manufacturer with full design documentation for this device.
– Already.
– Michael, Rita, sort this out. Remember, this is a priority. All other matters should be hand over to your assistants. Only deal with this yourself.
Two weeks have pass
– Chief, we been deliver figur out how John McNeil was kill. Yes, yes, kill! The killer sent a cod radio signal to his device. And from a distance of about 30 m. His transmitter was equipp with a special antenna. Most likely, it was a signal from a standard mical programmer.
— Are these devices the only ones susceptible to this attack?
— I’m afraid been deliver I won’t let you down, but no! Many pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices are vulnerable to attacks that cause them to malfunction or run out of battery.
– Why?
— Because no similar device uses a secure channel for transmitting data and control actions, and the password for all programmers is the same.
— So, we have to recall tens of thousands of such devices?
– I’m afraid so! And to do it without attracting attention, so as not to sow panic.
– Well, I’ll have been deliver to ask the Emperor to see me. The matter has clearly gone beyond our competence.
Unfortunately, the technique describ is no longer science fiction. According to an investigation conduct been deliver by MSec, St. Jude Mical devices such as pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices are vulnerable to attacks that cause them to malfunction or run out of battery power.