St. Jude Medical has established a new cyber security medical advisory board (CSMAB), in a bid to enhance cyber security standards in the medical device industry.

The new board will work with experts and government agencies to advance cyber security standards in the medical device industry.

It will help the company to receive direct feedback from leading physicians on patient management considerations.

St. Jude Medical chief medical officer Mark Carlson said: “Our mission is to deliver innovative technologies that save and improve lives.

“We take the cyber security of our devices very seriously and creating the cyber security medical advisory board is one more demonstration of our ongoing commitment to advancing standards of patient care around the world without comprising safety and security.

“We are in the process of finalizing membership for the cyber security medical advisory board, and we will announce its members once finalized.”

The company said that it had worked several years with third-party experts, researchers, and government agencies to evaluate potential vulnerabilities, prioritize real-world threat levels, and then develop appropriate safeguards as part of its product development process.

In August, St. Jude Medical denied allegations that its pacemakers and defibrillators are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks, saying a report issued by Muddy Waters Capital and MedSec was false and misleading.

The firm produces products under five major segments, including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, neuromodulation, traditional cardiac rhythm management and cardiovascular.

Image: St. Jude Medical global headquarters. Photo: courtesy of St. Jude Medical, Inc. (SJM).