[ExI] Cybernetics expert infects himself

[Adrian Tymes]

--- On Thu, 5/27/10, Tom Nowell <nebathenemi at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> No-one's posted this yet, so I
> thought I'd share this story of one of Reading university's
> researchers deliberately infecting his experimental implant
> to demonstrate how they can suffer viruses too. He makes the
> point that digitally controlled pacemakers *really* ought to
> fit basic security features to prevent a malware attack.
> 
> http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100526/tod-scientist-infected-with-computer-vir-870a197.html

No.  He makes the point that he's confusing "there is a way to
access the device" with "ZOMG ANY WIRELESS TRANSMITTER CAN TAKE
CONTROL OF STUFFZ!!1!!1oneone!".

Two of the main things that prevent a device from being hacked
that are commonly overlooked:

1) Value.  What possible value can be gained from hacking the
device?  For a pacemaker - at the most extreme, you've killed
someone who was in poor enough health to need a pacemaker.  A
bullet gets the job done much faster and cheaper than
developing the custom hardware needed for this approach.  It
is true that some systems will be hacked just for fun, but
only if the hackers believe they are not doing substantial
harm; practically no one is both smart enough to hack and
sociopathic enough to kill random people - and those that are,
have better ways to do it.

2) Access.  Few if any devices implanted in the body have any
business receiving from or broadcasting to wireless devices
that are not on or very near the body.  That wastes power,
and thus is simply not done.  Therefore, someone across the
street has no way to hack in to any wireless devices inside
you in the first place.  And that's assuming there is a
wireless interface: many devices require physical contact, of
a kind that is practically impossible to do discreetly.
(Instead of "I pick your pocket", try "I open your ribcage".)

In short, the only way you're going to be uploading or
downloading a computer virus with an implant, is if said
implant is explicitly designed to do so.  Medical devices of
the type he's warning about don't fall into that category.