New HHS agency initiative seeks to advance healthcare cyber tools

More advanced cybersecurity technologies for healthcare are being proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services' Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health's new Digital Health Security project, or Digiheals, amid increasing cybersecurity threats against the U.S. healthcare sector, reports Wired. Proposals addressing healthcare vulnerability detection and remediation, software hardening, and security protocol enhancements are being sought by Digiheals across different sectors, with Andrew Carney, the initiative's program manager, emphasizing the need for breakthrough solutions to rapidly bolster the cyber defenses of healthcare. "We are looking to very rapidly cast a wide net. I'd encourage folks even if they have ideas that don't fit cleanly or won't fit the timeline of the solicitation to come talk to us. We will make the process fit the ideas we receive as best we can," said Carney. Meanwhile, Arpa-H Director Renee Wegrzyn noted the importance of new healthcare cyber technologies amid the deficiencies of off-the-shelf software. "The Digiheals project comes when the U.S. healthcare system urgently requires rigorous cybersecurity capabilities to protect patient privacy, safety, and lives," Wegrzyn added. Submissions of proposed health cyber tools will be received until Sept. 7.