Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
To See What Google Has Set Its Sights On In Health Industry, Look At Companies Alphabet Has Acquired
Stat: These 10 Startups Acquired By Alphabet Reveal A Health Care Play Centered On Surveillance
So how is a tech company that began as a simple search engine starting to impact health care so broadly? One strategy involves buying health startups and speeding them toward their goals. Another involves picking up tech startups that can pivot to health applications. What appears to unite those acquisitions is a strategy focused on massive data gathering and surveillance — both in people’s homes, using devices like speakers and smart thermostats, and on their bodies, using smartwatches. (Brodwin, 1/27)
In other health and technology news —
Modern Healthcare: Ransomware Targeting Health Systems In More 'Sophisticated' Ways
Sometimes, ransomware can feel like the flu. As soon as hospitals find a defense, a new and more sophisticated version appears—making it difficult for hospital leaders to keep up. Cryptic names like WannaCry, Petya and SamSam—all variants of ransomware—have become common points of discussion in healthcare. But while those ransomware campaigns targeted businesses across industries, it's becoming more prevalent to see hackers tailor their approaches within the healthcare industry, finding new technical vulnerabilities to exploit at specific hospitals and more closely customizing the phishing emails that deploy malware. (Cohen, 1/24)
Bloomberg: GE Health Stations, Servers Vulnerable To Cyberattack, FDA Warns
General Electric Co. health-care stations and servers may be vulnerable to cyberattacks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a safety communication on Thursday. The FDA warned health providers, facilities and patients that an outside firm had identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities in GE medical servers used to display patient information like heartbeat or blood pressure. The security gaps could allow an attacker to take over and interfere with the monitors by, for example, silencing alarms or creating false ones. (Griffin, 1/23)
