Uncle Sam to inject $50M into auto-patcher for hospital IT

Uncle Sam to inject $50M into auto-patcher for hospital IT

May 21, 2024 at 08:53PM

The US government’s ARPA-H is providing over $50 million for the UPGRADE program, aiming to automate hospital IT security. The initiative seeks to develop software tools to find and fix vulnerabilities in medical systems without disrupting services. This effort aligns with ARPA-H’s mission to advance medical technologies and protect healthcare from cyber threats.

From the meeting notes, it’s clear that the US government’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has pledged over $50 million to fund the development of technology known as Universal PatchinG and Remediation for Autonomous DEfense (UPGRADE) which aims to automate the process of securing hospital IT environments. The focus is on developing software tools to scan for vulnerabilities and weaknesses in hospital computer systems and automatically deploy patches for threats while ensuring minimal disruption to patient services.

Following this, the agency has invited teams to apply for funding to create the UPGRADE platform and see it through to completion, targeting participants in areas such as creating a vulnerability mitigation software platform, developing digital twins of hospital equipment, auto-detecting flaws, and auto-developing custom defenses.

This initiative is crucial due to the increasing cyber-attacks on medical facilities, which have the potential to disrupt critical medical services. The UPGRADE project aligns with the mission of ARPA-H to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies that advance medicine and healthcare, and its significance is further emphasized by the support and recognition from the US Dept of Health and Human Services.

Furthermore, the notes refer to the AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC), a partnership between ARPA-H and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) focusing on building AI-based tools to secure code used in critical infrastructure. The competition provides opportunities for teams to advance and be awarded significant funding.

In summary, the meeting notes provide a comprehensive overview of the UPGRADE program and its overall importance in addressing cybersecurity needs in healthcare, as well as the related AI Cyber Challenge and its role in enhancing cybersecurity in critical infrastructure.

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