The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a new best practices document this week to help healthcare actors and government agencies design a communication approach regarding cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
When developing a cybersecurity communication strategy, the FDA advises stakeholders and federal partners to consider the following elements: Interpretability: Make it easy for people to read and understand by keeping it relevant, simple, timely and readable.Risks and benefits: Create a balanced discussion – especially if the device is lifesaving – to facilitate decision-making.Acknowledgement and explanation of the unknown.Availability and findability of information, including in online searches and on mobile devices.Structure of the communication material: Put clear, succinct messages at the top and provide visual cues.Outreach and distribution vehicles: Have a plan for reaching target audience members.Best Practices-Cybersecurity-Vunerabilities-to-Patients.pdf (1.11 MB)