Over the next twenty years, advances in cerebral stimulation could allow the protection and the creation of memories. Security researchers are already worried about a huge risk that this would represent individually and collectively.
If you are also a fan Black Mirror series, you probably know the episode 3 of the first season in which the human beings are implanting a "grain" in the eye capable of recording and replaying everything they live. Such an absolute memory control can seem strictly impossible. Nevertheless, current scientific researches show that such a way is possible.
On a conference organized by Kaspersky Labs in Barcelona, Laurie Pycroft, researcher at Oxford University in the neurosurgery field explained that memory modification is a technology that could exist in a few decades. This could lean on an evolution of the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).
Today, this medical research’s domain has already made possible to cure or to limit physical and mental disorders, such as the Parkinson by sending electric pulsations to certain zones of the brain. It relies for that on electrodes implanted in the brain and connected to a small electric generator (Implantable Pulse Generator or IPG) by means of a cable.
"We are in the process of understanding how memory events are created and how this process can be recreated. This year, a Darpa agency experiment has allowed for example to improve patients' short memory by brain stimulation", explains Laurie Pycroft.
By keeping this momentum, it would be possible by 2020 to record the cerebral signals that establish the memories, to complete or to rewrite them, and then to reinstall them in the brain. The first memory prostheses would appear around 2030 and "if everything is fine", we could have a complete control of the memory in 2040.
"It is not science fiction. It is something which is arriving", underlines Laurie Pycroft, in the face of unbelieving looks.
Such a technology would open the field to impressive new applications. Parents could bequeath memories to their children. By sharing experiences, we could generate empathy and better solve certain conflicts. The entertainment sector would also obviously benefit from this advance…
But there would be also huge risks, estimates the researcher. In the hands of law enforcement, this capacity to manipulate memory could be transformed into tool of heavy policing. And the dictatorial regimes could use it to gently oppress their peoples.
Memory’s ransomwares
The risks of hacking would also exist, both from Cyber-Criminal groups and from state agencies.
"New threats could include the mass manipulation of groups by implanting or by erasing political events or conflicts. While the existing Cyber-Threats could take advantage of new opportunities in the Cyber-Espionage field. Or moreover embark on the theft, erasure or locking of memories in exchange for a ransom", say Kaspersky Labs security researchers in a new report.
It is even more disturbing as the last years’ experience has shown that the medical equipments are rarely well secured. Pacemakers, insulin pumps, … life-threatening breaches are numerous. The brain stimulation domain does not make an exception. Analyses made by Kaspersky Labs have shown that the current design implants are not up to par.
Thereby, the data exchanges between the implant and the configuration and update software are not encrypted, which allows to remotely modify the firmware of these devices. Furthermore, it turns out that the management software for some surgical services are directly accessible from Internet and Kaspersky has also detected a critical flaw in one of these software that open the door to crackers. A lot to worry about as you can see...
The publisher therefore recommends thinking right now about the security of these future memory implants. At the risk of being really in a Black Mirror episode.
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