Software Engineering Institute

The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to examine the underlying basic motivation of IT experts and create a model for developing effective countermeasures for cyber threats to networked medical devices in the healthcare industry in the United States. This study addresses the growing need for countermeasures for risks related to networked medical devices. The participants included fifteen IT experts with relevant experience in employing a schema to analyze security risks in networked medical devices. Semi-structured interviews in multiple rounds reached a saturation of data in the third round.

The findings of this research could aid users in preventing security breaches with networked medical devices. This model could be used by IT leaders in the healthcare industry and manufacturers of networked medical devices to improve the security of their devices from cyber threats and minimize the risks related to their use, especially when these devices are connected to a network. The findings from this study could also help IT and healthcare organizations that support networked medical devices to increase their awareness of cyber threats. In addition, the model could also help scholars to identify areas of risk where more countermeasures are needed.