We live in a technological golden age where people are doing anything and everything to bring themselves into the future. And that includes, in some cases, blurring the lines between man and machine. In fact,“biohacking” sounds like a movement straight out of a science fiction movie—doesn’t it?
It’s surprising to know that biohacking occurs all over the world (in some of the most unexpected places). While there is a lot of ethical controversy surrounding the concept, there are other problems that are worth exploring. Namely, why are experts worried about the security risks of biohacking?
What Is Biohacking?
Biohacking is a new movement where users aim to “improve” their humanity. While there are members of the community who want to achieve this through some lifestyle changes or using gadgets like the Biohacking ORB, the real controversy lies in the subgroup of biohackers interested in combining man and machine.
They aim to accomplish these changes through technological modifications using techniques like gadgets, implants, and injections. This radical trend involves several potential procedures varying in purpose and invasiveness. Although the term makes you potentially conjure up images of androids and cyborgs, the current reality is much tamer.
Many examples of biohacking include the implantation of simple microchips into the skin. These limited chips often encode just enough information to interact with a basic computer interface with motion inputs or store minimal information through identification numbers (like a pet microchip).
Biohacking experiments are both difficult to perform and highly unregulated. Getting the green light for many biohacking achievements the traditional scientific route is timely and bureaucratic. Most institutes aren’t too keen on approving elective human experimentation—even if this is just on yourself.
This radical movement normally contains members of partying doing DIY procedures in their own homes. Prospective users purchase kits online to use on themselves (or other willing parties). With such a lack of regulation, there are many customized options out there, and people are free to explore different things without supervision.
What Are the Concerns of Biohacking?
The chief concern of this biohacking movement is that there are clear health risks to these procedures. First, there are the issues of the procedures themselves. Anyone is free to perform these on each other regardless of whether they have a sterile environment or basic surgical skills.
These risks lead to the increased danger of medical problems, such as scarring or infection. Medical professionals do not recommend that you do these, especially considering the combined risk that you don’t know where these kits come from.
As no agency strictly monitors the biohacking movement, these kits are often sketchy. You often don’t understand what you are buying and will likely lack the expertise to know how safe these experiments are to perform on yourself. Many people hurt themselves trying to do these before.
Beyond the health risks, you also need to consider the other implications that come with mixing technology with your own biology. One of the greatest criticisms of technology right now is that we have no privacy. The question arises whether or not you invite those same privacy violations in your own body through these invasive forms of biohacking.
Is Biohacking a Security Risk?
As of right now, the limited technology involved with these DIY kits leaves little reason for concern. The information they offer is too minimal for anything worth hacking. Without a battery source, these chips don’t have the capacity to connect to the internet or provide real location information.
While there are some people getting chips implanted in their hands to replace the need to carry identification or money, it’s not like people can steal that information from your body. It is like the equivalence of (almost) permanently carrying around a card that someone fixes to your body.
Of course, these characteristics only relate to the currently available tech we know about. As technology advances, there is the possibility that advanced features may cause more problems. Cinematic representations already have experts worrying about the future of “cyborg technology.”
Security Concerns of Cyborg Technology
Cyborg technology is not exclusive for body modification lovers looking to keep up with the latest trends. There are many people that rely on medical devices that would benefit from a modern twist. It would be advantageous for some medical devices and implants, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and defibrillators, to have a “connectable” component.
When you can control one of your necessary body functions with a computer, it helps you maintain your health and mitigate complications without invasive procedures. However, if you can control it with a computer, theoretically, anyone can.
Giving a Wi-Fi capacity to these devices greatly improves them so much—but at what cost? As the medical industry advances, they need to put a lot of effort into keeping their devices safe and secure.
Sure, these devices can’t give you payment information or sensitive data. However, they do allow a hacker to hold your life in their hands. Imagine how much of a game-changer this would be for malicious people. It would add a whole new level of threats when trying to get information.
There are people so afraid of the prospect of potential cybersecurity threats or terrorist attacks that they themselves refuse to engage in potentially life-changing advancements. While the technology certainly poses a potential risk, is it something worth worrying about?
Hospitals face constant security threats to their servers. However, workers heavily guard their systems. The prospect of hackers interfering with these implantable technologies is certainly worrisome; however, for now, it is all theoretically.
While there have been some scares and fictional depictions, it doesn’t appear that there were any victims of biohacking these medical devices. The F.D.A. encourages the medical industry to take the proper measures to keep their devices secure and their users as safe as possible. The benefits of such upgrades are worth getting it.
Should I Do Biohacking?
Although many experts advise against it, in the end, biohacking is a personal choice. While there are certainly a number of health concerns involved with these novice procedure kits, security concerns are not a huge problem—for now.
The bigger security concern falls on the medical industry incorporating modern connectivity tech into some medical devices. It’s of the utmost importance to stay on top of research and keep informed. Be wary of sketchy sites and “crossing a line” if someone offers the technology was.