Fed up hospitals defy Microsoft patching rules
Amid growing worries that Windows-based medical systems will endanger patients if Microsoft-issued security patches are not applied, hospitals are rebelling against restrictions from device manufacturers that have delayed or prevented such updates. Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is encouraging the aggrieved hospitals to file written complaints against the manufacturers, which could result in devices losing their government seal of approval. If hospitals encounter a patch-related issue "that may lead to death or serious injury, they must file a report," says John Murray, the FDA's software and electronic records compliance expert. Murray acknowledges that healthcare organizations might be reluctant to do this "because they don't want the manufacturer mad at them."
