The Food and Drug Administration has released draft guidance to help manufacturers protect medical devices against cyber threats throughout the product lifecycle.

The guide outlines postmarket strategies for the medical device industry to monitor, identify and address cybersecurity risks that could affect the performance and safety of their technology offerings, the FDA said Friday.

“Medical devices that use software and are connected to hospital and health care organizations’ networks have vulnerabilities,” said Suzanne Schwartz, acting director of emergency preparedness/operations and medical countermeasures at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

“Only when we work collaboratively and openly in a trusted environment, will we be able to best protect patient safety and stay ahead of cybersecurity threats,” Schwartz added.

The agency recommended that manufacturers integrate a National Institute of Standards and Technology-provided cybersecurity framework into their risk management efforts.

FDA will hold a public workshop on Wednesday and Thursday at the agency headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, to discuss medical device protection issues with industry.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will hold a Proposers Day on Jan. 25 to provide information on a new program that seeks to facilitate new imaging concepts and technology through the detection of photons.

DARPA said Wednesday the Fundamental Limits of Photon Detection or “Detect” program aims to use quantum models for proof-of-concept experiments.

“The goal of the Detect program is to determine how precisely we can spot individual photons and whether we can maximize key characteristics of photon detectors simultaneously in a single system,” said Prem Kumar, a program manager at DARPA.

“[Answers] to these questions could radically change light detection as we know it and vastly improve the many tools and avenues of discovery that today rely on light detection.”

The program will also look into differences between various technology platforms for photon detection.

DARPA said experts in the fields of quantum measurement theory, quantum information science, semiconductor and superconductor physics, system design and engineering, among others, can participate in the program.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers plans to launch advocacy efforts this year to encourage adoption of cybersecurity strategies, a public safety broadband network and an information exchange framework at state government agencies.

NASCIO said Jan. 12 it will collaborate with federal regulators in a bid to address “silo” or “stove-pipe” funding of information technology infrastructure projects.

The association added it believes state government CIOs need regulatory flexibility to consolidate their agencies’ enterprise IT assets as well as implement shared business models and integrated citizen services.

The group also vowed to monitor the First Responder Network Authority’s initiatives toward development of a nationwide wireless communications network for first responders.

FirstNet, which issued a request for proposals on the project Thursday, has set a summer 2017 deadline for states to decide if they want to opt in or out of the emergency services network, NASCIO noted.

The group also promised to promote use of National Information Exchange Model at the state level.

Dave Mihelcic, chief technology officer at the Defense Information Systems Agency, has said that some definitions of cloud that the National Institute of Standards and Technology developed may not be applicable to the Defense Department, C4ISR & Networks reported Thursday.

“So I think the answer that you’re not going to always precisely have the same definition isn’t necessarily a bad answer,” he added.

“In particular, some of the metered billing pieces of [cloud] may not always be applicable to some of the things we need in the department.”

Amber Corrin writes Mihelcic also previewed some DISA’s plans for acquisitions of cloud platforms.

“We may want to use cloud-like technologies, but we may want to buy them in a slightly more dedicated fashion to ensure quality of service, for example,” he noted.