FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced it has established a Product Security Partnership Program that emphasizes collaboration across the health care industry to enhance cybersecurity of medical technology and devices.

The new program has three primary components:

    1. Participation with government agencies, industry associations and
       security researchers and their efforts to enhance cybersecurity in health
       care;
    2. Collaborating with UL to use the ANSI UL 2900 cybersecurity standard and
       participate in the UL Cybersecurity Cooperative Research and Development
       Agreement; and
    3. A cybersecurity vendor certification program where BD verifies
       third-party security technologies that are compatible with its products
       and perform as indicated.

"Intelligent and connected medical technologies have transformed how health care providers diagnose and treat patients," said Rob Suarez, director of Product Security for BD. "As cyber attacks become more sophisticated and attempt to find vulnerabilities through an interconnected health system, medical technology companies, health care providers and government agencies need to collaborate even more to protect patients."

As part of its participation with government agencies, BD is participating in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Secure Wireless Infusion Pump Program and created a white paper for secure design and architecture. The company also contributed to the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force to produce recommendations on how to improve cybersecurity across the health care industry. For any potential vulnerabilities in BD products, the company has made a strong commitment to coordinate vulnerability disclosure through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (NH-ISAC). This commitment also extends to the Department of Homeland Security National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), which acts through the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) to provide expertise on control systems-related security incidents and mitigations.

BD is using ANSI UL 2900 as part of its design and development process to minimize risks and help reduce exploitation, address known malware, enhance security controls and expand security awareness. UL has longstanding expertise in safety science, standards development, testing and certification and worked with industry to develop UL 2900 to help manufacturers address cybersecurity vulnerabilities. BD has also volunteered to participate in the UL Cybersecurity Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), a program established to help improve the nation's cybersecurity. The CRADA project will support improvement in patient safety and security through the use and verification of UL's Cybersecurity Assurance Program (CAP).

For third-party cybersecurity products to receive certification, BD employs a rigorous evaluation of the technology to ensure it is compatible with BD products and performs as indicated. The certifications specify which BD products were tested and passed the evaluation so biomedical technicians will have reassurance that the third-party software is compatible with the specified BD product and does not interfere with the operation of the device. In some situations, BD is taking a unique approach with security technology companies by tailoring their solutions to the specific needs of BD products in a health care setting.

Inaugural members of the cybersecurity technology certification program include Attivo Networks and Cylance. BD has verified for certain BD products that the BOTsink Solution from Attivo Networks provides an effective method for distributed deception and decoy solution for early threat detection, and CylancePROTECT(®), uses next-generation machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide a powerful next-generation anti-malware technology.

"Connecting medical device makers and security researchers is increasingly important to preserve patient safety and trust in the public health system, and fortunately it is also increasingly common, as demonstrated by BD with this move," said Beau Woods, founding member of I Am The Cavalry, and Cyber Safety Innovation Fellow with the Atlantic Council. "We applaud this effort and encourage more device makers and security researchers to work closely together, alongside others in the ecosystem, to make us safer, sooner, together."

BD's approach to product security is a three-prong strategy that considers security measures during design, in use and through partnership with health care providers, government and the product security industry. The company is dedicated to transparency and open communication surrounding potential threats to its products and implementing mitigating controls when necessary. BD's product security framework targets to improve security throughout the product lifecycle. For more information about BD's product security efforts, visit http://www.bd.com/ProductSecurity. Future collaborators for product-related privacy or security initiatives are encouraged to contact BD at product.security@bd.com.

About BD

BD is a global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. BD leads in patient and health care worker safety and the technologies that enable medical research and clinical laboratories. The company provides innovative solutions that help advance medical research and genomics, enhance the diagnosis of infectious disease and cancer, improve medication management, promote infection prevention, equip surgical and interventional procedures, and support the management of diabetes. The company partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. BD has nearly 50,000 associates across 50 countries who work in close collaboration with customers and partners to help enhance outcomes, lower health care delivery costs, increase efficiencies, improve health care safety and expand access to health. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com.

    Contacts:

    Troy Kirkpatrick        Monique N. Dolecki

    BD Public Relations     BD Investor Relations

    858.617.2361            201.847.5378

    troy.kirkpatrick@bd.com Monique_Dolecki@bd.com

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