Man infects himself with a computer virus — Test shows possible security issues about chip use in medical devices.

Gasson had a relatively simple chip implanted in the top of his left hand near his thumb last year. It emits a signal that is read by external sensors, allowing him access to the Reading laboratory and for his cell phone to operate.

He and his colleagues created a malicious code for the chip. When the lab’s sensors read the code, the code inserted itself into the building computer database that governs who has access to the premises.

“The virus replicates itself through the database and potentially could copy itself onto the access cards that people use,” Gasson said.

The experiment showed that implants which wirelessly communicate with other computers can infect them and vice versa.

Gasson said he knows of no instances to date of bionic devices having been contaminated by computer viruses. But the threat will grow with the number and complexity of these devices.

This experiment was intended to highlight the vulnerabilities of increasingly sophisticated medical and bionic implants to cyber threats. The implications are significant for future medical technologies like pacemakers and cochlear implants, which might become more connected and thus more vulnerable to similar attacks.