Implantable Brain Devices: Top Cyber and Privacy Concerns

Northeastern Professor Kevin Fu on Latest Medical Device and AI Cyber Challenges Marianne Kolbasuk McGee (HealthInfoSec) • December 26, 2025 19 Minutes

Implantable neural devices and brain control interfaces introduce a new and significantly more complex class of cybersecurity and privacy risk compared with traditional medical devices, especially given the sensitivity of neural data, said Professor Kevin Fu, founder and director of the Archimedes Center for Healthcare and Medical Device Cybersecurity at Northeastern University.

Neural and other implantable medical technologies are a focus of cybersecurity research taking place at the Archimedes Center, for which the center has received "substantial funding," he said.

"It's an area that's, of course, very important to people, especially when involving your brain and thoughts and neural interfaces," he said. "A big question is how to ensure that there's ...