Most medical imaging devices run on outdated operating systems

PARCA eNews – March 12, 2020 – An overwhelming majority (83 percent) of medical imaging devices are running old operating systems with little to no ability to receive crucial security updates according to a new report by security tech form Palo Alto Networks.

The company analyzed 1.2 million devices stationed across thousands of healthcare systems in the U.S. They found that the number of platforms running outdated operating systems was up from 56 percent reported in 2018. The systems included Linux, Unix but the overwhelming majority of devices were running Windows 7, which is reaching the end of its life. The researchers say the vulnerable systems could open the door for criminal attacks in the wider healthcare industry.

On the plus side the report found that the number of these systems being isolated on subnetworks had increased from 12 percent to 44 percent in 2019.

The researchers conclude that healthcare systems need to prioritize updating legacy systems, and to push device manufacturers to implement more stringent security measures.

Source: HealthImaging