Ransomware attacks make the news almost every day in a wide variety of industries. Attacks against medical facilities are among the most egregious. But ransomware attacks are (unbelievably) only part of the problem — the part of the iceberg above sea level.

Lurking beneath the splashy headlines of cyberattacks, there are patient safety risks caused by servicers who hack into medical devices under the guise of repair and maintenance. Whether wickedly intended or just reckless, this hacking presents a threat just as dangerous as ransomware attacks by professional hackers and is less likely to be appreciated by the medical device community, physicians, and patients who rely on such devices for lifesaving treatment.