Hacking Your Brain

By John Farrier in Science & Tech on Jul 9, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Computer security expert Tadayoshi Kohno says that biotechnology that has a neural interface, such as advanced prosthetic limbs, may make the brain accessible to hackers in the future:

In some cases, patients might even want to hack into their own neural device. Unlike devices to control prosthetic limbs, which still use wires, many deep brain stimulators already rely on wireless signals. Hacking into these devices could enable patients to “self-prescribe” elevated moods or pain relief by increasing the activity of the brain’s reward centers.

Despite the risks, Kohno said, most new devices aren’t created with security in mind. Neural engineers carefully consider the safety and reliability of new equipment, and neuroethicists focus on whether a new device fits ethical guidelines. But until now, few groups have considered how neural devices might be hijacked to perform unintended actions. This is the first time an academic paper has addressed the topic of “neurosecurity,” a term the group coined to describe their field.

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  1. Video Game Dork
    Jul 9th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

    I want to play with brain/computer IO interfaces SO BAD!!!

  2. seekshelter
    Jul 9th, 2009 at 4:44 pm

    it looks like technology is catching up to Ghost in the Shell… in there, they used barrier mazes to keep hackers out, but that didn’t stop people from getting hacked anyway.

  3. leetchi
    Jul 9th, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    Ever since I started hacking back in 1991, I dreamed of being able to do this. One day I guess I will be a brain-hacker… white hat on heads only ;-)

  4. Him
    Jul 10th, 2009 at 12:25 am

    This scares me. If I were to have my brain hacked, would I know I had my brain hacked? Even if I did, would I know which thoughts were purely mine and which ones were inserted there?

  5. Video Game Dork
    Jul 10th, 2009 at 5:20 am

    Be sure to buy ‘output only’ head-trodes!

    Seriously, it’s not the brain getting hacked, its the device that interfaces with the brain. So, the worst that could happen would be the limits of what the device could do to the brain. Weird sensory input would probably be the height of it, and that would only be if the hardware wasn’t manufactured so that the max-output of such things were kept at a safe level.

    People wouldn’t be able to ‘hack’ your memories, personalitiy, etc. But depending on how much ‘input’ the device has to your mind, it might be able to do some unpleasent things.

    Think of it like someone hacking your computer. They have aceess to the device your eyes interact with (the monitor), but not your eyes themselves.

  6. aging hipster
    Jul 10th, 2009 at 10:47 am

    mmm…nutella.

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