Rapid7 Hires Medical Device Hacker Jay Radcliffe

Jay Radcliffe, a security researcher best known for his work in the field of medical device security and safety, has joined Rapid7.

At Rapid7, Radcliffe will work as a researcher and senior security consultant on the company’s professional services team, the company said Thursday.

Prior to joining the Boston-based cyber security company, Radcliffe worked as a senior security analyst at InGuardians, Inc. Before that, he occupied various positions at Internet Security Systems and IBM.

In 2011, the security expert, who suffers from diabetes, demonstrated at the Black Hat and Def Con security conferences that insulin pumps similar to the one he had been using could be hacked. Radcliffe’s research in this field has made both the medical industry and authorities realize that security is something they should take very seriously.

Radcliffe says he joined Rapid7 for the community, but also because the company encourages him to continue his research in the area of medical device security.

“As a patient and user of this technology, making the world a safer place has become one of my passions; emerging technologies in the medical world are often ill-equipped for the dangers that the interconnected world faces, and we need spokespeople to draw attention to these dangers,” Radcliffe noted in a blog post announcing his move to Rapid7. 

“As a diabetic, who depends on these interconnected devices to live, I find myself as an advocate in this arena. It doesn’t stop there: the infosec community needs advocates of safety across this new world of embedded computers that are effecting and controlling our physical world.”

Another important factor in the expert’s decision to join Rapid7 has been the fact that the company encourages participation in industry conferences and events.

“Often the community and presentations take a secondary or tertiary role in a company, as such activities often present as a cost.  Conference and other presentation opportunities, however, are also the primary way that knowledge is transferred in our community, and Rapid7 is clearly supporting the growth of our community in supporting attendance and participation in these areas,” Radfliffe noted.