Infographic: 4 Criteria for ARPA-H Cybersecurity Platform Pitches

HHS is calling for help on cybersecurity.

On Monday the HHS research funding agency Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) unveiled its Universal PatchinG and Remediation for Autonomous DEfense (UPGRADE) program that will offer “multiple awards” to individuals/groups with the best pitches for a scalable cybersecurity platform that can keep the hospitals’ vast digital systems up to date. 

The program hopes to implement a platform that will enhance and automate cybersecurity for healthcare facilities. 

“It’s particularly challenging to model all the complexities of the software systems used in a given healthcare facility, and this limitation can leave hospitals and clinics uniquely open to ransomware attacks,” UPGRADE Program Manager Andrew Carney said in a release. “With UPGRADE, we want to reduce the effort it takes to secure hospital equipment and guarantee that devices are safe and functional so that healthcare providers can focus on patient care.”

The U.S. healthcare system struggles with continuously updating the security technology that is put in place. The release noted that when updating critical hospital systems, taking that system offline can be “very disruptive.” This often leaves vital data open for hackers and ransomware groups. 

The UPGRADE program aims to address these issues by choosing a new platform that can proactively probe for vulnerabilities. While the agency is holding a Virtual Proposers Day on June 20, it has not yet announced open and closed dates for this solicitation.

There are four technical areas that the  ARPA-H will be seeking in these outside proposals. This infographic breaks it down.