Cybersecurity research has revealed software vulnerabilities in pacemakers and other medical devices, and the implications for patient safety are huge. Join experts Joshua Corman and Jacki Monson in San Francisco Thursday, September 20th for Context Conversations, moderated by Seth Rosenblatt of The Parallax.

The challenge of securing medical devices is a complex and potentially life-threatening problem. Join Jacki Monson, chief privacy and information security officer of Sutter Health, and Josh Corman, chief security officer of software maker PTC in the debut of Context Conversations, a new speaker series co-hosted by New Context.

New Context will be in attendance with Monson, Corman and Seth Rosenblatt of The Parallax at 7PM PST on Thursday, September 20, at Digital Garage in San Francisco to discuss critical issues health organizations face in securing their systems.

Come to the Event: You can sign up to attend the free event in person here.

Livestream: If you’re unable to join us in person we will be live streaming the conversation here.

Connect on Social: We invite you to submit questions to Context Conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #ContextConvo.

The security of both medical devices and healthcare organizations is a growing concern, and the FDA is strongly urging software and hardware companies in the space to develop best-practices and build with security in mind.

A recent report by Suzanne Murrin, Deputy Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections within HHS, found that the “…FDA has taken steps to address emerging cybersecurity concerns in networked medical devices by issuing guidance, reviewing cybersecurity information in submissions, and—when needed—obtaining additional information from manufacturers. FDA could take additional steps to more fully integrate cybersecurity into its premarket review process.”

Jacki Monson
Jacki Monson has worked in health care for 16 years. She holds certifications in health care law, privacy, information security, and compliance. As a member of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, she frequently speaks at events about the subjects.

Before joining Sutter Health, Monson served in privacy and security management roles at health care and pharmaceutical providers, including Mayo Clinic. And as a member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force, she has testified before government and legislative committees. She holds law and bachelor degrees, respectively, from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and the College of Saint Scholastica.

Josh Corman
Josh Corman is co-founder of I am The Cavalry, a volunteer technology security organization. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member of Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, as well as a member of the Congressional Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force. He previously served as director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative for the Atlantic Council, chief technology officer for Sonatype, and director of security intelligence for Akamai.

Corman is passionate about encouraging better security responses to threats facing our increasingly vital digital infrastructure. His approach to security in the context of human factors, adversary motivations, and social impacts has helped position him as one of the most trusted names in security.

Seth Rosenblatt
Seth Rosenblatt is the Editor of The Parallax. He has worked in online journalism since 1999, most recently at CNET News, where he led coverage of security, privacy, and Google. Based in San Francisco, he also writes about connected technology and pop culture.

Context Conversations is a new series of in-depth explorations with world-class experts in security and related interdisciplinary fields. Backed by Javelin Strategy and Research, New Context, Rain Capital, and The Parallax. The series supports our mission to work together to keep the connected world safe.