Will computer viruses be able to infect humans in the future?

C

CySecy825

Thread author
Source: Will computer viruses be able to infect humans in the future? - Avira Blog

A few years ago a customer phoned urgently to ask if the virus detected on their computer could infect him or his family. It was hard not to smile. For every tech guy this question sounds ridiculous and with a basic understanding of computer viruses it is clear that this fear is without any reason.

cyber-548x250.jpg

But, wait! With the boundaries of technology advancing, this can change dramatically.

During the last couple of years within the medial industry, many micro computing devices were invented. Simple pacemakers for the heart have transformed into small implanted electromechanical computer devices that are updated and programmed via wireless interfaces. Already in 2012 at the RSA Security Conference presenters were able to hack an insulin pump via a wireless connection and forced it to administer a lethal dose of insulin. Parkinson therapy already uses brain pacemaker implants that react on brainwaves and turn off or fire neurons whenever needed.

The problem is, it’s much harder to ensure a device is unhackable than it is to find a way to hack it. To protect a device, you have to find all possible ways it can be hacked. This is quite a challenge and I’m unsure if it can ever be done. On the other hand, if you want to hack a device, you only have to find one single way to do it. This sounds much more doable, right? Additionally, because we are talking about hardware, the implanted device can be tricky to update to the newest technology, making it vulnerable to hackers who have the advantage of new technology. Maybe tomorrow a new artificial intelligence will help the hackers to hack a device, or a quantum computer helps to break an encryption. The situation is a lot like a bank robber stealing an exact copy of the safe they want to break into. Once the criminal has the safe, they can use every tool at hand to open it, while the manufacturers of the safe can do nothing to improve the safe’s security..

A look into the future: Nanobots
If you think this is scary, then let’s take a look even further into the future. In the area of medicine there is a clear focus on nanobots becoming one of the main tools to cure human diseases. These tiny little robots swim through the body to reach the intended site and will then inject drugs or even reprogram cells by changing DNA sequences. If you think this is all science fiction that will never happen, have a look at the experiments going on at Harvard University. In 2014, Havard scientists injected nanobots into cockroaches that were programmed to react to specific proteins within the cockroaches. Harvard plan to have first experiments running on humans in 2019.

Humans will cure common bio-viruses by using nanobots. It’s just a matter of time. No more Ebola. No more HIV. Just a software update and your tiny little helpers will attack every new virus that infects you.

What happens if your nanobots are hacked by criminals and who turn your nanobots against you? We will have computer viruses replacing our common bio-viruses. And this will be far more dangerous than any virus that nature comes up with. An armada of small robots that are directly connected to the cloud could threaten your life, hold your body hostage or take control of your behavior by manipulating your brain.

Cryptolocker malware, which is on the rise, encrypts a computer and requests that the owner send over an amount of money (usually Bitcoins), to regain access to the computer. Imagine cryptolockers on nanobots, asking you to pay 1 million Bitcoins in 24 hours or you will be killed. That’s a totally new dimension of crime.

So, what can we do to protect ourselves from this totally new type of threat?
First of all, we have to set up a completely new level of IT security. We have to find new standards as well as creating very hardened software. This issue is one of the grandest challenges for all security software companies, including Avira, that will need to tackled, and I think we can only do so if all experts in the industry work together.

After Germany introduced the RFID chip in its IDs, many people bought protective covers in which to put their ID. This was driven by the fear that criminals would steal their personal information just by walking by them with a scanner. If the software security industry fails to find a solution, maybe in the future we will have to wear a protective suit that shields us from attacks against our nanobots.

So what do you think? Will you ever be infected by a computer virus in your life? How about your kids?
 

jamescv7

Level 85
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Honorary Member
Mar 15, 2011
13,070
Again the main question here, are you willing to be bind/attached on the technology to yourself? Because until now technology cannot help some instances to improve our life; they just rely only and it doesn't mean that the life itself will never be progressive.

Not impossible because computers are connected to have risks and unfortunately when it terms of security; it just a minority in category and provide some synthetic test which are light rather heavy simulation.
 

frogboy

In memoriam 1961-2018
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Well-known
Jun 9, 2013
6,720
Source: Will computer viruses be able to infect humans in the future? - Avira Blog

A few years ago a customer phoned urgently to ask if the virus detected on their computer could infect him or his family. It was hard not to smile. For every tech guy this question sounds ridiculous and with a basic understanding of computer viruses it is clear that this fear is without any reason.

cyber-548x250.jpg

But, wait! With the boundaries of technology advancing, this can change dramatically.

During the last couple of years within the medial industry, many micro computing devices were invented. Simple pacemakers for the heart have transformed into small implanted electromechanical computer devices that are updated and programmed via wireless interfaces. Already in 2012 at the RSA Security Conference presenters were able to hack an insulin pump via a wireless connection and forced it to administer a lethal dose of insulin. Parkinson therapy already uses brain pacemaker implants that react on brainwaves and turn off or fire neurons whenever needed.

The problem is, it’s much harder to ensure a device is unhackable than it is to find a way to hack it. To protect a device, you have to find all possible ways it can be hacked. This is quite a challenge and I’m unsure if it can ever be done. On the other hand, if you want to hack a device, you only have to find one single way to do it. This sounds much more doable, right? Additionally, because we are talking about hardware, the implanted device can be tricky to update to the newest technology, making it vulnerable to hackers who have the advantage of new technology. Maybe tomorrow a new artificial intelligence will help the hackers to hack a device, or a quantum computer helps to break an encryption. The situation is a lot like a bank robber stealing an exact copy of the safe they want to break into. Once the criminal has the safe, they can use every tool at hand to open it, while the manufacturers of the safe can do nothing to improve the safe’s security..

A look into the future: Nanobots
If you think this is scary, then let’s take a look even further into the future. In the area of medicine there is a clear focus on nanobots becoming one of the main tools to cure human diseases. These tiny little robots swim through the body to reach the intended site and will then inject drugs or even reprogram cells by changing DNA sequences. If you think this is all science fiction that will never happen, have a look at the experiments going on at Harvard University. In 2014, Havard scientists injected nanobots into cockroaches that were programmed to react to specific proteins within the cockroaches. Harvard plan to have first experiments running on humans in 2019.

Humans will cure common bio-viruses by using nanobots. It’s just a matter of time. No more Ebola. No more HIV. Just a software update and your tiny little helpers will attack every new virus that infects you.

What happens if your nanobots are hacked by criminals and who turn your nanobots against you? We will have computer viruses replacing our common bio-viruses. And this will be far more dangerous than any virus that nature comes up with. An armada of small robots that are directly connected to the cloud could threaten your life, hold your body hostage or take control of your behavior by manipulating your brain.

Cryptolocker malware, which is on the rise, encrypts a computer and requests that the owner send over an amount of money (usually Bitcoins), to regain access to the computer. Imagine cryptolockers on nanobots, asking you to pay 1 million Bitcoins in 24 hours or you will be killed. That’s a totally new dimension of crime.

So, what can we do to protect ourselves from this totally new type of threat?
First of all, we have to set up a completely new level of IT security. We have to find new standards as well as creating very hardened software. This issue is one of the grandest challenges for all security software companies, including Avira, that will need to tackled, and I think we can only do so if all experts in the industry work together.

After Germany introduced the RFID chip in its IDs, many people bought protective covers in which to put their ID. This was driven by the fear that criminals would steal their personal information just by walking by them with a scanner. If the software security industry fails to find a solution, maybe in the future we will have to wear a protective suit that shields us from attacks against our nanobots.

So what do you think? Will you ever be infected by a computer virus in your life? How about your kids?
Now this one very scary post, i sure has not thought about this before. :eek:
 

DaveM

Level 2
Verified
Feb 12, 2016
62
Who knows, it seems like there are a lot of tech companies and scientists trying very hard to get us all wired. They don't have any malicious intentions, but they seem to ignore the fact that once a technology becomes used outside of a lab it's in the hands of the well intentioned and the not so well intentioned. I'll just say this right now though, if anyone ever installs Windows on me I will blue screen myself.
 
D

Deleted member 178

Thread author
I dont see Nanobots sold in Pharmacy yet :D

So medical uses of them would be only in authorized hospitals under very strict surveillance ; not saying nanobots would be set to auto-destroy after the task is completed. So no one would be able to "hack" you.
 

Sana

Level 5
Verified
Well-known
Dec 30, 2015
211
Possible, when you have ICs impanted in you and identifying who you are etc. A chip that verifies and provides your passport info. to immigration, license info. to cops, your medical history to doctors or your future employer etc. Imagine if something like Cryptolocker / a virus deleted your ID. I'm sure you'll get it back somehow, but the hula hoops you'd have to go through, just the thought of it makes me tired and frustrated. :eek:
 

Viking

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Honorary Member
Top Poster
Well-known
Oct 2, 2011
1,531
At the moment, the only way a virus may endanger a human being are those who may access to a pacemaker.

I'm not sure, but I think that it has actually hapened.

I dread the day when a hacker inserts ransamware in our brains via some sort of surgical procedure.:eek:
 
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jamescv7

Level 85
Verified
Honorary Member
Mar 15, 2011
13,070
@Umbra: Not also on the pacemaker but related to health equipments on the hospital where tools to cure for patient will be at risk. ;)

There are some articles posted everywhere regarding on that issue.
 
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H

hjlbx

Thread author
Imagine heart-pace maker that has telemetry capabilities that create a doorway to be hacked and messed with.

How scary is that ? :confused:.............:eek:
 
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L

LabZero

Thread author
Probably in the future it will not be impossible, but it is a absolutely unlikely scenario.
It is better to worry about real malware..now.
 
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Der.Reisende

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Dec 27, 2014
3,423
Source: Will computer viruses be able to infect humans in the future? - Avira Blog

A few years ago a customer phoned urgently to ask if the virus detected on their computer could infect him or his family. It was hard not to smile. For every tech guy this question sounds ridiculous and with a basic understanding of computer viruses it is clear that this fear is without any reason.

cyber-548x250.jpg

But, wait! With the boundaries of technology advancing, this can change dramatically.

During the last couple of years within the medial industry, many micro computing devices were invented. Simple pacemakers for the heart have transformed into small implanted electromechanical computer devices that are updated and programmed via wireless interfaces. Already in 2012 at the RSA Security Conference presenters were able to hack an insulin pump via a wireless connection and forced it to administer a lethal dose of insulin. Parkinson therapy already uses brain pacemaker implants that react on brainwaves and turn off or fire neurons whenever needed.

The problem is, it’s much harder to ensure a device is unhackable than it is to find a way to hack it. To protect a device, you have to find all possible ways it can be hacked. This is quite a challenge and I’m unsure if it can ever be done. On the other hand, if you want to hack a device, you only have to find one single way to do it. This sounds much more doable, right? Additionally, because we are talking about hardware, the implanted device can be tricky to update to the newest technology, making it vulnerable to hackers who have the advantage of new technology. Maybe tomorrow a new artificial intelligence will help the hackers to hack a device, or a quantum computer helps to break an encryption. The situation is a lot like a bank robber stealing an exact copy of the safe they want to break into. Once the criminal has the safe, they can use every tool at hand to open it, while the manufacturers of the safe can do nothing to improve the safe’s security..

A look into the future: Nanobots
If you think this is scary, then let’s take a look even further into the future. In the area of medicine there is a clear focus on nanobots becoming one of the main tools to cure human diseases. These tiny little robots swim through the body to reach the intended site and will then inject drugs or even reprogram cells by changing DNA sequences. If you think this is all science fiction that will never happen, have a look at the experiments going on at Harvard University. In 2014, Havard scientists injected nanobots into cockroaches that were programmed to react to specific proteins within the cockroaches. Harvard plan to have first experiments running on humans in 2019.

Humans will cure common bio-viruses by using nanobots. It’s just a matter of time. No more Ebola. No more HIV. Just a software update and your tiny little helpers will attack every new virus that infects you.

What happens if your nanobots are hacked by criminals and who turn your nanobots against you? We will have computer viruses replacing our common bio-viruses. And this will be far more dangerous than any virus that nature comes up with. An armada of small robots that are directly connected to the cloud could threaten your life, hold your body hostage or take control of your behavior by manipulating your brain.

Cryptolocker malware, which is on the rise, encrypts a computer and requests that the owner send over an amount of money (usually Bitcoins), to regain access to the computer. Imagine cryptolockers on nanobots, asking you to pay 1 million Bitcoins in 24 hours or you will be killed. That’s a totally new dimension of crime.

So, what can we do to protect ourselves from this totally new type of threat?
First of all, we have to set up a completely new level of IT security. We have to find new standards as well as creating very hardened software. This issue is one of the grandest challenges for all security software companies, including Avira, that will need to tackled, and I think we can only do so if all experts in the industry work together.

After Germany introduced the RFID chip in its IDs, many people bought protective covers in which to put their ID. This was driven by the fear that criminals would steal their personal information just by walking by them with a scanner. If the software security industry fails to find a solution, maybe in the future we will have to wear a protective suit that shields us from attacks against our nanobots.

So what do you think? Will you ever be infected by a computer virus in your life? How about your kids?
Scary article, thank you for sharing @CySecy825 :)
Luckily we are far from those nanobots yet, I think it will be the privileged part of the society having access to those first.
But this article remembers me of the movie "In Time", which really got me a cold chill when watching (although I knew I was only watching a movie and something like this is - blessedly - still up in the air).

The danger (however still good old electronics affecting malware) has been here for years now, and which can affect any human being, is data being manipulated for ruining someones life (which can indeed lead into physical harm).

Anybody remember the movie "The Net"?
 
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