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Healthcare breaches aren’t news anymore—they’re routine. I sat down with IEEE’s Maria Palombini to unpack how connected devices multiply risk, where vulnerabilities hide, and how “security by design” can harden medical tech without slowing innovation. From pharma operations to launching a blockchain media venture to leading healthcare and life sciences at the IEEE Standards Association, Maria brings a rare 360° view of how to build safe, interoperable digital health.

We trace the data journey from a wearable on your wrist through networks and the cloud into hospital systems. Along the way, the usual culprits appear: unpatched software, weak passwords, and products that add security too late. Maria explains how consensus-based standards give manufacturers a blueprint to embed cybersecurity at design, smooth regulatory approval, and cut rework—just as Wi-Fi’s 802.11 standard once unlocked smartphones, telehealth, and remote monitoring.

We also explore how IEEE standards are built: market-driven, inclusive of engineers, clinicians, regulators, and patients. That collaboration strengthens rigor and adoption. Looking toward 2030, Maria sees a more inquisitive, patient-driven system—one that expects connected care to be secure by default and interoperable by design.

If you work on medical devices, compliance, or digital health strategy, this conversation delivers clear, usable insights.

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