Governor Orders State Health Agencies to Review Cyber Risks in China‑Made Medical Devices

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AUSTIN – Governor Abbott released a letter directing state agencies and state-owned medical facilities in Texas to address potential cybersecurity concerns linked to medical equipment manufactured in the People’s Republic of China. In his letter, he directs the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and public university systems to review cybersecurity and procurement policies to protect Texans from data breaches of their medical information.

“Maintaining Texans’ physical security and protecting their personal privacy, especially personal medical data, is of paramount importance,” said Governor Abbott. “I will not let Communist China spy on Texans. State-owned medical facilities must ensure there are safeguards in place to protect Texans’ private medical data and our critical medical infrastructure.”

In January, the Trump Administration’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a series of notices describing security vulnerabilities found in Chinese-manufactured patient monitoring devices. These risks include the ability of unauthorized actors to access protected health information remotely. These notices confirm the warnings of experts who have elevated the proliferation of Chinese-manufactured smart medical devices across our healthcare system as a serious data privacy concern.

Governor Abbott has taken significant action to protect Texans from hostile foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party:

• Governor Abbott directed technologies be added to the state Prohibited Technology list to protect state government data.
• Governor Abbott signed the strongest law in American banning hostile foreign adversaries from buying land in Texas.
• Governor Abbott created the Texas Cyber Command, the largest state-based cybersecurity department in America to protect Texans from foreign and domestic cyber threats.
• Governor Abbott issued executive orders GA-47, GA-48, and GA-49 to combat Communist China.