
The best plotlines in fiction are often based on reality, giving them a scary edge and chilling ring of truth. One such plotline was the subject of Showtimes “Homeland” series: the fictional Vice President of the United States dies of a heart attack triggered by cyberattackers who hacked into his pacemaker. This is terrifying precisely because it not only could happen, but breaches in medical devicesincluding pacemakershave already been reported (prompting real-life former Vice President Dick Cheney to ask his doctors to disable the wireless in his pacemaker). “Everything that makes healthcare more efficient, every access point, new device, or algorithm, for every positive theres a negative: risk and vulnerability,” warns Tom Ridge, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.