As the complexity of securing medical devices increases, so does the risk of vulnerabilities slipping past equipment manufacturers and hospital IT organizations. However, this complexity is reduced significantly when medical devices are designed for security using platforms similar to typical networked clients, such as laptops and workstations. This synergy enables hospital IT personnel to apply consistent security strategies across the network, making it easier to administer and monitor equipment. Moreover, as new technologies and methods roll out to thwart attacks, they can be implemented in a similar fashion across the network.

No single security solution can offer complete protection. Living with this reality everyday, hospital IT organizations must sort through countless solutions and support a large number of them. The complexity is multiplied by purpose-built medical devices incorporating unique and sometimes obscure solutions, which increases the support effort required.