Human Infected with Computer Virus
A British scientist says he is the first man in the world to become infected with a computer virus. Dr. Mark Gasson had a chip implanted in his hand which was then intentionally infected with a virus. This device enables him to pass through security doors and activate his mobile phone. It’s a sophisticated version of the type of identification chips implanted in pets. If other implanted chips had connected to the system, they would have become infected, as well.
Dr. Gasson said that this has important implications for a future where more medical devices will be increasingly sophisticated, such as with pacemakers. They will then risk being contaminated by other human implants. “With the benefits of this type of technology come risks. We may improve ourselves in some way but much like the improvements with other technologies, mobile phones for example, they become vulnerable to risks, such as security problems and computer viruses,” he said.
However, he believes that we will continue to advance in the field of medical implants, and they will become more of a risk as the demand for them increases. “This type of technology has been commercialized in the United States as a type of medical alert bracelet, so that if you’re found unconscious you can be scanned and your medical history brought up.”
What are your thoughts? Do you foresee a future in which we have devices implanted throughout our bodies, thus putting us at risk for computer viruses within our physical self?