DEFCON 33: Diving Into Biohacking and Medical Device Security

If you’ve never heard of DEFCON, here’s the quick version:

It’s one of the world’s largest and most famous hacker conferences. It started back in 1993 in Las Vegas as a small gathering of tech enthusiasts and has grown into a massive event where security researchers, engineers, and even government officials meet to share knowledge, test ideas, and sometimes push the limits of what’s possible with technology. Think talks, workshops, hands-on villages, and an entire community obsessed with figuring out how things work and how they can break.

Attending DEFCON 33 was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to meet and share ideas with industry leaders and experts from across the cybersecurity and healthcare fields. It was inspiring to hear different perspectives, discuss emerging challenges, and explore innovative approaches to securing technology in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The conference itself is a sensory overload in the best way. I attended talks on privacy, AI, and quantum computing, tried flying drones, and even tried my hand at lock picking. But for me, the real highlight was the Biohacking Village.

The Biohacking Village: Where Medical Devices Meet Security

The Biohacking Village is one of DEFCON’s most hands-on and unique areas. It’s where researchers, engineers, and healthcare innovators explore the intersection of biology, technology, and security. For anyone working in medical device security, it’s an incredible opportunity to see emerging devices up close and consider the security challenges they present.

During my visit, I got to interact with connected devices from companies like Roche, J&J, and Siemens, along with experimental biosensors and wearable tech. These devices are designed to improve healthcare outcomes - but as I saw firsthand, connectivity introduces risk. Demos showed how vulnerabilities could be exploited if security isn’t built in, from firmware weaknesses to insecure data transmission.

The hands-on aspect was what made it truly valuable. I could explore devices, test interactions, and think through potential attack vectors in a controlled environment. Reading about medical device vulnerabilities is one thing - but seeing them in action really drives home the stakes for patient safety and privacy.

Why Medical Device Security Matters

Being in the Biohacking Village reinforced a reality I see every day: security expertise is essential in MedTech. Connected medical devices are powerful - they monitor patients, deliver treatments, and handle sensitive data but they’re also targets. Vulnerabilities can exist at multiple levels: hardware, firmware, software, and network communication.

Securing a device goes far beyond penetration testing. Medical device manufacturers need to implement a range of practices to ensure both patient safety and regulatory compliance, including:

• Maintaining a SOUP (Software of Unknown Provenance) list – keeping track of third-party software components, their versions, and associated vulnerabilities.
  
  
• Conducting hazard and risk assessments - identifying potential risks associated with device failures or security breaches and mitigating them proactively.
  
  
• Performing threat modeling and security testing - including penetration tests, code reviews, and fuzzing to uncover vulnerabilities.
  
  
• Documenting and following regulatory requirements - complying with FDA guidance, ISO 13485, IEC 62304, and other relevant standards for device safety and cybersecurity.
  
  
• Implementing secure development practices - designing devices with security built-in from the ground up, rather than retrofitting protections later.
  
  

All of these practices work together to ensure devices are safe, secure, and reliable. Pen-testing is just one piece of the puzzle - though it’s a highly visible one - while maintaining strong documentation, assessing hazards, and managing software risks are equally critical for patient safety and compliance.

Experiencing the Biohacking Village made these risks and responsibilities tangible. Seeing connected devices in action and understanding how small vulnerabilities could cascade into serious safety concerns really drove home why every step in the security lifecycle matters.

Key Takeaways from DEFCON 33

• Hands-on learning is invaluable. Seeing devices in action makes potential security risks tangible.
  
  
• There’s always more to learn. The tech evolves fast - staying curious and improving technical skills is essential.
  
  
• Collaboration is key. DEFCON brings together people from diverse backgrounds - hackers, engineers, healthcare professionals - all sharing knowledge to improve security.
  
  
• Medical device security saves lives. Every vulnerability fixed is one less risk to a patient.
  
  

DEFCON 33 wasn’t just a conference; it was a reminder of why I do what I do, and how much opportunity there is to learn, explore, and make medical devices safer.

Learn more about Medical Device Security...