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Behold the future: attackers can already get between brain-waves and hospital kit, and it's just going to get worse according to IOActive senior consultant Alejandro Hernández.
Hernández says the ability to steal, manipulate, and replay brain waves used in electroencephalography (EEG) is already emerging, with consumer-grade kit already able to be hacked and the health care industry taking few precautions to properly protect recorded brain waves.
After decades in labs and hospitals, encephalography is steadily being implemented in lightweight consumer headsets and other devices that as yet remain largely experimental or gimmicky.
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Hackers Can Steal Your Brain Waves
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I'm GLAD I remembered to XEROX all my UNDERSHIRTS!!
(Score: 5, Informative) by takyon on Monday October 19 2015, @12:57AM
I see this as more of an indictment of IoT and hospital security.
The new wearable and medical devices that get released simply don't pay attention to security. Hospitals and insurers get breached all the time. Brain data and gadgets may be rudimentary right now, but they will increase in sophistication until they pose serious threats to privacy.
Eventually we will reach a point where medical technology's capabilities are very attractive in the face of security risks. Brain-to-brain communication or browsing the Internet with your brain might not be enough to convince tinfoil hatters, but (hackable?) medical nanobots that repair damage and prevent aging might. That could involve a brain/body implant to act as a controller or hub for nanobots. How do you update the software without facing a security risk... a surgical update?
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(Score: 1) by Francis on Monday October 19 2015, @03:13AM
Indeed. But OTOH, when it comes to brainwaves the technology is still rather primitive and there's not yet much you can do with the information once you've got it. I've got a muse head band that helps monitor my brain during meditation and I used to use a Zeo to monitor what my sleep was like. The information on those is pretty much worthless to anybody other than me. So, I don't much care what the security is like on it.
However, as the technology continues to evolve, it's going to be more and more important that the information be kept secure.