Medical necessity for an electronic device is determined by a licensed physician or health care practitioner operating within the scope of their practice. Devices that are considered optional (e.g., peripheral devices that pair with the medically necessary device, but are not themselves medically necessary) or recreational (e.g., heart monitors used for fitness purposes) do not meet the criteria.
Medical devices that are consistent with the definition of a controlled article (i.e., have the ability to record and/or transmit, audio and/or video) are not allowed to operate in or around classified information and therefore are not approved for use in a Sandia Limited Area unless the ability to transmit and/or record can be disabled. Disabling a device could include placing it into “Flight Mode”, “Airplane Mode”, or otherwise turning off all wireless capabilities, or shunting/disabling all microphones.
If an alternative device without controlled article capabilities, or the ability to disable those technologies, is not available, refer to medical for guidance. Schedule an appointment with the medical services at 505-284-4700. This may be done virtually and does not require you to go into the clinic.
Medical devices that do not possess audio and/or video components (e.g., do not have microphones or cameras), but still have a wireless transmission capability (Bluetooth, cellular, etc.), may have other restrictions. Contact TEMPEST at telecomm@sandia.gov for guidance.
Note:
- Special Access Program (SAP) and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) personnel may be subject to different requirements. The responsible Program Security Officer (PSO) or Special Security Officer (SSO) will identify and convey applicable requirements for those programs.
- Additional approval by the Vault-Type Room (VTR) owner will be required to allow medical devices into a Vault or VTR.
You should turn off and/or disable transmitting capabilities if the use of this technology is not necessary for the normal operation of the device. Data storage capabilities do not need to be disabled on a medically necessary device while on Sandia-controlled premises.
Do not connect medically necessary devices to Sandia-issued computing devices or information technology (IT) resources.