Hackers invated a computer with DNA!

© Sofokleousin.gr Hackers violated a computer with the help of DNA

Researchers in the United States have announced that they have first been able to break a computer using genetic DNA – something that until now only science fiction could be seen.

Hackers used the molecule of life to penetrate the computer. DNA was used to transport a computer virus from the biological to the digital kingdom.

“We designed and created a synthetic DNA strand that contained malicious code at its bases. When this genetic material was sequenced and processed by a computer program, the virus invaded and took control of the computer. So we were able to gain full control of the remote machine using malicious synthetic DNA”,

said teachers Tantagiosi Kono and Luis Keze of Computer Science Faculty and Engineering, Washington University H / PC, which will make the relevant formal presentation cybersafety conference in Vancouver, Canada on August 17th.

The mechanics used the four DNA bases (adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, or A, C, G, T) to generate the virus code, incorporated in the synthetic DNA. When the computer tried to “read” this infected DNA, turning the molecular code into digital, the virus was activated and infected the computer.

The researchers said that the hacking was possible because of the security vacuum in the sequencing software (reading) of DNA, but reassured towards that now at least there is no wider concern. As they said,

“we have no evidence to believe that the security of DNA sequencing or DNA data in general is currently under attack”.

But they have shown that this is possible to happen and warned that the issue should be taken more seriously by biologists and IT specialists.

It is reminded that the reading of the genome is becoming more widespread, including for medical and genetic tests that can reveal a wealth of information about the genetic background of a man, his origin, microorganisms hosting etc. A hacker could not only gain access to these genetic data but also distort them.

The bad thing is that, even though researchers have done so to highlight the need for greater cyber security in the field of bioinformatics, they have in fact also put imaginative ideas into hackers …

Source of ANA-MNA

Source: www.sofokleousin.gr