Hackable hearts threaten medical device industry’s top prospect

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Medical device security could figure into a bellwether Minessota congressional race this year. A report last week suggested thousands of lives could be at risk as pacemakers and defibrillators are vulnerable to hackers. That’s bad news for folks with heart problems and potentially disastrous news to the industry’s top candidate.

The claim was made by investment group Muddy Water Capital about devices manufactured by St. Jude Medical. It caused the company’s shares to drop from $85 to around $78 in days. Feds magnified concerns over the weekend when the Food and Drug Administration announced it was overseeing an investigation with the Department of Homeland Security.

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