There’s a good chance that your life will at some point depend on a piece of computer software. Lines of code drive pacemakers, insulin pumps, hospital imaging machines and just about every other electronic medical device that’s manufactured today. But where there’s software, there are hackers. And a steady stream of hospital ransomware attacks and other malicious activities have shown that medical devices are not immune to attack. U-M computer science researcher Kevin Fu is joining the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in their ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.
Fu has been named acting director of medical device cybersecurity in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. In the newly created 12-month post that began January 1, he’ll work to bridge the gap between medicine and computer science and help manufacturers protect medical devices from digital security threats. Fu is the founder of the Archimedes Center for Medical Device Security. He has long been both a leading researcher and an outspoken advocate for medical device security. As an acting director, he’ll retain his U-M appointment.
