In this interesting story (click HERE), a demonstration was done recently that shows how a heart monitor with a wireless interface could be hacked to obtain sensitive patient information, or even deliver a life-threatening shock...

(NaturalNews) The software in electric heart monitors can be hacked to collect private patient information or even deliver powerful electric shocks, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Washington, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the Harvard Medical School.

The devices used to hack the system would have to be very close-by, but this is not a problem in most hospitals I've been in. People seem to be able to roam freely to visit loved ones in most patient rooms.

As demonstrated by Rich Mogull, a security analyst, at this year's Black Hat security conference, he was able to carry the equipment he needed in a self-contained backpack to hijack wireless connections in a wi-fi hotspot. So, the risk of a malicious visitor hacking a hospital system to injure people is not that unrealistic, and the "improbability" is a subjective measure.

Anywhere wireless connectivity is used for patient monitoring or care must be secured with strong controls.