THE INSPIRATION BEHIND FATAL LEGISLATION - A 2017 PACEMAKER RECALL, by Ellen Butler

As an author, inspiration for a novel can appear in unexpected places. For my second Karina Cardinal mystery, Fatal Legislation, it came from something as ordinary as a television commercial about a pacemaker recall. My research-junkie brain immediately went on high alert. A little digging revealed the reason behind the recall: cybersecurity vulnerabilities that could allow the pacemakers to be hacked. And just like that, the seeds of a murder mystery were planted.

When we think of computer hacking, we usually imagine stolen passwords and breached networks leading to personal information being sold on the dark web. But in 2017, cybersecurity concerns reached beyond our computer systems into the human heart.

A modern pacemaker is essentially a tiny computer implanted inside the body. It monitors the heart and sends electrical impulses to keep it beating properly. Wireless capabilities enable doctors to remotely monitor their patients’ heart health. But this wireless communication also creates a potential point of entry for hackers. The problem affected radio-frequency-enabled pacemakers capable of communicating wirelessly with external equipment. A convenience for patients and doctors that created a dangerous vulnerability.

A bad actor exploiting this cybersecurity vulnerability could gain access and alter a pacemaker's programming. A disturbing possibility to ponder. In a worst-case scenario, manipulation could lead to inappropriate pacing, and potential death. Which is exactly how the victim in Fatal Legislation is murdered.

The pacemakers in question were updated with security patches. However, discussions with cybersecurity specialists led me to understand that any device with firmware has the potential to be hacked. It’s only a matter of time before a true bad actor finds another vulnerability.

When a computer is helping to keep a human heart beating, cybersecurity becomes more than a matter of data protection, it becomes one of physical safety. Which leaves behind some hard questions. Updating the implanted firmware carries risks of its own, is it riskier to leave the vulnerabilities or update them? Could a hack be disguised as a natural pacemaker failure? Is it the perfect crime? Will we see future implanted cybersecurity risks?

Knowing this information, how comfortable would you feel having a wireless pacemaker installed?

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Ellen Butler is a bestselling mystery and historical fiction author. Her Karina Cardinal mystery series was praised by Publishers Weekly as “intelligent escapism”. Butler infuses her fast-paced mystery-action novels with authenticity and intrigue.