How Safe Is Healthcare Technology ?

How Safe Is Healthcare Technology ?

Hardik Gandhi   August 27, 2018

How Safe Is Healthcare Technology From Hackers?

Source: Mass Device

Healthcare technology is evolving more and more each day, with blockchain, telemedicine and 3D printers being used by medical professionals around the country. But one question still remains to be answered: Can this technology be hacked into? If so, that could mean dangerous consequences for medical records, and sensitive information could be compromised. Throughout this article, we’ll examine how security can potentially be threatened by this technology and give tips on how organizations can ensure their information is secure.

Can 3D Printers Be Hacked?

While 3D printing can sometimes take several hours and be extremely difficult when designing products, this hasn’t stopped industries from utilizing it to the best of its abilities. Several companies such as Adidas and GE are using 3D printing to advance production and manufacturing. Using digital files, 3D printers can produce a plethora of three-dimensional solid objects.

Hospitals are taking advantage of this technology to make historic strides in the healthcare industry. 3D printing is creating innovations in the field of radiology, a science helping to diagnose and treat diseases using medical imaging technology. According to the University of Cincinnati, “3D printing is just now come into style across the radiology realm, as professionals can leverage it for educational, research and other purposes.

But are 3D printers completely safe from hackers? As Harvard Business Review points out, closed systems have dominated the 3D printing industry within the last 10 years. This means 3D printers can only be accessed with the manufacturer’s resin and software. But several companies are shifting to a more open system, which allows for many advantages but also threatens security. “Once introduced into an open environment, a virus can spread faster through multiple parties and flows of information than in a closed system,” Harvard Business Review said.

Hackers often target individuals through shutting down servers, corrupting data and breaking into computer databases, but 3D printing takes the possibilities of hacking to new and frightening levels. By corrupting a 3D printer file, hackers can cause product failures and trigger injuries, product recalls and litigations. Researchers across the country are now figuring out ways to combat these cyberattacks and one method of prevention could be as simple as listening to what sounds the 3D printer makes.

Can Blockchain Be Hacked?

Blockchain, which helps keep track of transactions within machines, is already being used by a variety of different industries in groundbreaking ways. From insurance agencies to record companies, blockchain technology is revolutionizing the way industries store and track data. Medical professionals are able to manage data and conduct research more effectively by using blockchain technology. There is even blockchain technology with the ability to track the degree of cleanliness in hospitals by monitoring hand hygiene.

With blockchain networks being used by so many different organizations around the world, do we know whether or not it’s safe from hackers? Blockchain technology is indeed vulnerable to hackers, and there are many avenues within these systems where hackers can strike. Users of blockchain networks are given private keys, which are used to sign account transactions, and if hackers receive access to it, they could potentially steal information and corrupt data. The security of a blockchain platform can be compromised through software errors as well, which occur during the development of software implementation.

Blockchain technology is as susceptible to hackers as any other systems and users need to have the skills necessary to protect themselves from cyber-attacks. There are several apps that can help prevent cyber-attacks in blockchain networks such as Civic, which prevents identities from being stolen, and Biometrics.io, which uses face recognition technology to identify users. Using these tools, companies can keep their networks secure and ensure their data is safe against hackers.

Can Telemedicine Be Hacked?

Telemedicine is becoming more and more prevalent in the medical field, and it’s benefiting citizens from rural communities greatly. There are now even at-home diagnostic tools available such as electrocardiogram ECG devices, which can keep track of heart health and detect when a heart attack is taking place. There are several smartphone apps helping to advance the possibilities of telemedicine such as the recently announced MinuteClinic service by CVS, which allows users to be diagnosed and treated by doctors through a video conversation on their smartphone.

Even though this technology is helping more communities find medical care and providing an easier form of treatment and diagnosis, is it really as safe from hackers as we may think? While telemedicine is considered safer than many other forms of healthcare technology, hackers can still use several types of ransomware to keep the operation of a medical device hostage and steal data.

Ransomware is a technique used by hackers to extract payment or information, in which a target’s computer is locked until the hacker’s demands are met. Ransomware is usually performed through encryption tactics, and hackers typically order to be paid in a form of online currency such as bitcoin. These type of cyberattacks are at an all-time high, and it’s important to know what to do when you’re targeted.

To avoid privacy and security issues, telemedicine networks are required to comply with the HIPAA, which stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This act helped to make medical records private and keep health information from getting in the hands of hackers. Telemedicine technology is required to abide by HIPAA’s guidelines, which include implementing a system of secure communication, allowing only authorized users to receive access to services and putting safeguards in place to prevent accidental or malicious breaches. By following these rules, telemedicine technology is more secure and fewer cyber-attacks occur.

Source : hackernoon

How to Access and Manage Your Voice Command Data

How to Access and Manage Your Voice Command Data

Hardik Gandhi   January 21, 2018

The past few years have been huge for voice-activated command services. It seems like every major tech manufacturer has one on the market.

Whether you’re using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri or Microsoft Cortana, it’s hard to ignore the hands-free revolution.

But how secure are your communications? Are your commands really kept between you and the device? Where is all of this information stored?

Answering these questions is critical when determining whether or not you want to use these personal assistants on a daily basis.

They’re also important when it comes time to access, manage or delete your command history.

Always On?

Contrary to popular belief, most of these devices aren’t “always on.” Instead, they only begin recording after the activation command, or “wake word,” has been issued.

In the case of Alexa and the Echo device, the command is “Alexa.” For Google Assistant, the phrase is “OK Google.” Some devices let you choose from several different wake words. Alexa users, for example, can choose between the default word of “Alexa” and one of two other options: “Amazon” or “Echo.”

So recording doesn’t begin until you’ve spoken the magic phrase. That might even be enough to put your mind at ease. But it’s important to note that these devices also store your voice commands in the cloud. As such, they’re prime targets for hackers.

Turning the Personal Assistant Into a Personal Wiretap

Like most new technology, these voice-activated command services are prone to cyber attacks.

The Amazon Echo device has already been hacked. Mark Barnes, a British security expert, recently demonstrated how malware can turn the consumer product into a live audio surveillance stream. You can find his research on his official blog.

Mark’s hack has a significant flaw — it requires access to the device and involves physical modification of the targeted hardware. Nonetheless, his proof-of-concept is enough to worry many consumers around the globe.

The Dawn of BlueBorne

Another hack — one which uses a Bluetooth exploit — was identified in late 2017.

Known as BlueBorne, this attack doesn’t involve physical access to any device. It doesn’t even require the end-user to click on any links or open any files.

As such, BlueBorne has the potential to cause widespread havoc among current users of devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home.

BlueBorne only gets worse from there. The exploit also has the potential to take control of a remote device and infect every other device on the same network.

As if that wasn’t enough, most modern malware or antivirus programs wouldn’t even detect the attack.

Thankfully, the majority of these devices have already received firmware updates to patch the hole. According to recent estimates, there are still approximately 20 million devices — primarily Amazon Echo and Google Home products — that are susceptible.

Controlling and Managing Your Files

Most devices let you easily manage your files. Amazon Echo allows you to delete individual recordings by navigating into your device settings and your history folder.

From there, just tap on a single item and hit “Delete voice recordings” to finalize the action. To delete everything, sign into your Amazon Echo account at Amazon’s official website and navigate to “Manage Voice Recordings.”

Although Apple recently disclosed that Siri stores data for up to 18 months, you can turn off voice dictation and Siri’s assistance to prevent voice recording and archival.

Google Home users can delete past recordings by navigating to the “My Activity” section of their Google account. Just like Amazon Echo, Google Home lets you remove individual or entire groups of files.

Using Voice Command Services Safely and Securely

While devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home represent huge leaps forward in smart home technology, they’re not without their faults.

To use these products safely and securely, make sure you update them with the latest patches and enhancements.

Deleting your past messages is a good practice to minimize the damage if a hack does occur, but this can also hamper the personalization of your device.

Ultimately, it comes down to balancing your security and privacy with the amount of functionality you need.

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Who owns the internet?

Who owns the internet?

Hardik Gandhi   January 09, 2018

Six perspectives on net neutrality

This week, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on the future of net neutrality. Whether you’ve been following the political back and forth, skimming the headlines, or struggling to decode acronyms, the decision will have an impact on what we can do online (and who can afford to do it). Because the internet has effectively been free and open since the day it was born, it’s easy to lose sight of the impact this vote will have.

The reality is, the internet is a fragile thing. Open, crazy, weird spaces where people swap stories and secrets, create rad digital art projects, type furiously and freely with people seven time zones away — these spaces are rare. People build them, people sustain them, and now, people are trying to restrict them. If this week’s vote passes — which is looking increasingly likely — the internet’s gatekeepers will have more control over their gates than ever before.

Because we live and breathe the internet, laugh and cry on the internet, connect with people who’ve tangibly changed our lives on the internet, we decided to gather some perspectives on this moment in time. Why it matters, how we got here, and what the future may hold. Here are some of the most insightful essays we’ve found on Medium to help us make sense of the fight to keep the net wild and free.

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In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. Now, he’s defending it. “I want an internet where consumers decide what succeeds online, and where ISPs focus on providing the best connectivity,” Berners-Lee emphasizes. Content and connectivity are two distinct markets, and they must remain separate. Conflating them risks blocking innovation, free expression, and the kind of creativity that can only thrive online.

What’s happening now is not just about net neutrality, law professor Lawrence Lessig argues, but about the foundations of our democracy. Tracing the history of the concept from its origins in the aughts (one of his students, Tim Wu, coined the term “net neutrality”), Lessig sees the rollback of Obama-era regulations as a symptom of a larger issue: a democracy that doesn’t serve its people.

Through statistical analysis and natural language processing, data scientist Jeff Kao shows that millions of pro-repeal comments submitted to the FCC were faked. Organic public comments, according to Kao’s analysis, overwhelmingly supported preserving existing regulations. The report calls into question the legitimacy of the FCC’s comment process, and the basis of chairman Pai’s intention to roll back regulations.

In part one of a five-part series on net neutrality, computer scientist Tyler Elliot Bettilyon takes us back to FDR’s New Deal. Piecing together the history of “common carrier” laws — those that govern everything from shipping to telephone lines — Bettilyon contextualizes today’s fight for a free and open internet.

Social psychologist E Price interrogates the idea that the internet we’ve grown to love is really as “free and open” as we’d like to think. “Internet activity is already deeply centralized,” Erika writes, and major social media sites are today’s answer to the Big Three TV networks of a few decades ago. The internet is closer to cable than we think, and it’s (probably) about to get even closer.

Why should the internet be a public utility? Economist umair haque debunks the “competition will lower prices” argument against internet regulation, and makes a compelling case for why going online, “just like water, energy, and sanitation,” should be a basic right: “It dramatically elevates our quality of life, best and truest when we all have free and equal access to it.”

Visit battleforthenet to write or call your congressperson in advance of the vote. You can also text a few words of your choice to Resistbot.

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New Year Offer: The iPhone is available at Rs 9000

New Year Offer: The iPhone is available at Rs 9000

Hardik Gandhi   January 01, 2018

 If you are considering a smartphone in the new year, then we are giving them a best choice of the phone. E-commerce website is getting a discount of Rs 9010 on the iPhone 8's 64GB variant on Amazon. You can buy this Rs. 64000 phone from Amazon at Rs. 54,999.



On the 32GB variant of the unseen iPhone SE, there was also a discount of 8 thousand rupees. After the discount, it was being sold at Rs. 17,999. However, the price of this phone has now been reduced to Rs 18,999. Customers can buy Apple iPhone 8 in space gray, gold and silver color variants.



Apple has made several improvements in September with an 10th anniversary, iPhone 7 with iPhone X and iPhone 7 Plus in an event in California. In the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, there is a new design with a front and back glass.



The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have a 12-megapixel rear camera, as well as a dual camera setup in the iPhone 8 Plus. It also has a 12-megapixel telephoto camera. It has the best features for video recording.

Hacker successfully uses Heartbleed to retrieve private security keys

Hacker successfully uses Heartbleed to retrieve private security keys

Hardik Gandhi   April 12, 2014

This morning, content distribution network Cloudflare gave some hope to those affected by the Heartbleed security flaw with an announcement that the bug might not be as bad as feared. In two weeks of testing, Cloudflare said, its researchers failed to exploit the bug to steal a website's private SSL keys, which secures the data sent to users. It issued a challenge to white-hat hackers to successfully retrieve the private security keys — and unfortunately for the web, one of them succeeded.

The hacker, Node.js team member Fedor Indutny, claimed on Twitter that he'd tracked down the SSL keys.

The implications for the web are significant. Even after a server is patched to fix the Heartbleed vulnerability, the private keys can continue to be used to access user data unless whoever is running the server updates its security certificate. The news also directly contradicts Cloudflare's earlier claim that it "may in fact be impossible" to retrieve the SSL keys. The company has yet to issue a statement, but, according to the challenge website, promises to offer details soon.