A future reality — Hackers attacking human memories

Recently, when I was watching an episode in the dystopian near-future series “ Black Mirror” on Netflix about an implanted chip in the brain that allows users to record and replay their memories (audio and visual). Recently a UK based magazine “ YouGov” conducted a survey and surprisingly 29% of viewers are willing to use if these kinds of technologies exist in the market.

Neurostimulators may be a boon for patients who are suffering from Parkinson’s disease or people suffering from deep depression. The Black Mirror series may sound like science fiction, it is worth realizing that we are already on the way to understand how human memories are created, processed, and restored. Many experiments in the recent past shown the possibilities of improving human memories (especially short-term memories).

Glimpses of future on Neurostimulation

Modern medical devices (IoT) like Neurostimulators or implantable pulse generators (IPG) in the human brain helps to transmit electrical impulses through implanted electrodes for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. The Oxford University Functional Neurosurgery Group and Kaspersky Labs analyzed the currently available neurostimulators and their supporting infrastructure and suspected that there will be a future threat on memory implants.

Memory implants are so sensitive and prone to vulnerable to cyber-attacks unlike other implants such as cardiac pacemakers or insulin pumps.

The billion-dollar question is how can we prepare for the threats and vulnerabilities from the connected devices (IoT), medical implant devices likely to target these rapidly evolving technologies over the next decade?

Some evidence from the recent researches

1. Researchers have found potential threats in terms of exposed connected infrastructure (IoT), insecure data transfer (Transmitters), programming software stored on inadequately protected commercial-grade devices.

2. In the near future, the evolution of memory implants could enable cyber attackers to steal, sell, spy on, manipulate, implant, or alter memories.

3. There is a strong necessity for collaboration between healthcare professionals, the security industry, manufacturers, and software developers will be essential to understand and address the emerging risks.

Risk Predictions

Scientists are learning how memories are created in the brain and how to restore or boost memory using connected neurostimulators. Kaspersky Lab has researched the cyber-vulnerability of such neurostimulators. As this amazing tech develops new cyber threats could appear.

After experiencing the disruptiveness of technology, I am afraid in the coming years our scientists and doctors can record the brain signals and use them as their wish. Even they can process and control the brain waves virtually. Many universities and neuro-medical centers working towards it.

Once the availability and advancement of medical connected infrastructure, it will be prone to vulnerable and may chance of exploitation and abuse.

New threats could appear and cause mass manipulation (distraction) of groups through implanted or erased memories.

Conclusion

Many of the potential vulnerabilities could be reduced by following appropriate security precautions. However, healthcare professionals, the security and software industry, and OEMs have a role to play in ensuring emerging devices are secure.

“Current vulnerabilities matter because the technology that exists today is the foundation for what will exist in the future,” the report from Kaspersky concludes. Although no attacks targeting neurostimulators have been observed in the wild — a fact that is not altogether surprising since the numbers currently in use worldwide are low, and many are implemented in controlled research settings, several points of weakness exist that will not be hard to exploit.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.