Kevin Fu talks with New York Times and NPR about medical record security risks

Artificial intelligence is helping healthcare companies uncover security weaknesses while raising concerns about how attackers could exploit them. The New York Times reported that Epic Systems used an AI tool to identify vulnerabilities that could allow unauthorized access to sensitive patient records without leaving a digital audit trail.

Northeastern University Professor Kevin Fu, board chair of the Archimedes Center for Healthcare and Medical Device Cybersecurity, commented on the potential danger of “integrity” attacks, which alter medical information. Unlike attacks that steal data or shut down systems, tampering with a record could put patients at risk by changing information clinicians rely on, such as a documented allergy.

Kevin warned that the ability to alter records and erase evidence of an intrusion would undermine trust in digital health systems. His comments underscore why protecting medical records means safeguarding both patient privacy and the accuracy of information used to deliver care.

Read the full article on NYTimes.com"Major Medical Records Firm Uses A.I. Tool and Finds Flaws That Threaten Patient Privacy" by Christopher Rowland, September 30, 2026