First human infected with computer virus

Professey Chin · 26-05-2010 6:25pm #1

Sure, a cybernetic-filled, dystopian future may sound nice and cheery, but what happens when your all your snazzy implants get infected with a computer virus? That's what one brave researcher at the University of Reading is attempting to find out, and he's now actually gone so far as to willingly "infect" himself in the name of science. As you might expect, however, this is all this very much a proof of concept, but Dr. Mark Gasson says that the infected RFID chip in his hand was indeed able to pass on the virus to an external control device in his trials, and he warns that the eventual real world implications could be far more dire. Gasson is particularly concerned when it comes to medical implants, which he says could potentially become infected by other implants in the body, and even pass on the "infection" to other people. Head on past the break for the BBC's report, and try not to be too startled by the Dalek in the room.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/british-scientist-becomes-first-human-infected-with-a-computer/

Blue screen of death for all :pac:

donmeister · 26-05-2010 6:30pm

Woah Im making a virus for prosthetic hands to keep the middle finger up constantly

jimi_t2 · 26-05-2010 6:38pm

He did it to say that he did it basically.

I could confidently say it'll be of very little relevance in the next 10-15 years minimum.

In terms of body implants, microwave ovens are already far far more dangerous. Similarly, the plethora of stuff that gives off EM interference.

prinz · 26-05-2010 6:38pm

Sensationalist headlines ftw.

Gunsfortoys · 26-05-2010 6:38pm

DESTROY! DESTROY! DESTROY!

Abrasax · 26-05-2010 6:39pm

I once got an infection from a nasty byte.

efb · 26-05-2010 6:40pm

I once got an infection from
a nasty twink...

mikom · 26-05-2010 6:40pm

Steven Hawking's firewall must be broken.

Run_to_da_hills · 26-05-2010 6:42pm

RFID implants will cause cancer if that can be classafiied as a virus.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/11/technology/11micro.html

Kasabian · 26-05-2010 6:42pm

mikom wrote: »

Steven Hawking's firewall must be broken.

And his legs don't work

FruitLover · 26-05-2010 6:42pm

The human wasn't infected with a virus. The chip in his hand, which was completely independent from his body apart from merely being under the skin, was infected.

This kind of thing will only be news when we have implants that actually interact with or act as part of the body (e.g. a pacemaker with wifi access).

Abrasax · 26-05-2010 6:43pm

efb wrote: »

I once got an infection from
a nasty twink...

A Trojan might have prevented that.

Kasabian · 26-05-2010 6:43pm

FruitLover wrote: »

The human wasn't infected with a virus. The chip in his hand, which was completely independent from his body apart from merely being under the skin, was infected.

This kind of thing will only be news when we have implants that actually interact with or act as part of the body (e.g. a pacemaker with wifi access).

You have suitably chastised the thread , well done

efb · 26-05-2010 6:47pm

Abrasax wrote: »

A Trojan might have prevented that.

There was noting Trojan about him bless, or his mates...

hal9000 · 26-05-2010 7:10pm

Ahh the future, where my pacemaker will be sending spam to my replacment hip about "how to make my penis 12inches" cant wait!

Overheal · 26-05-2010 7:13pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell:_Stand_Alone_Complex

There you go. Allll about the future of prosthetics and computer viruses, basically.

squod · 26-05-2010 7:31pm

Any bewbs in da flick? ^

Big Nasty · 26-05-2010 7:38pm

Rise of the Machines/

Sofiztikated · 26-05-2010 7:44pm

Pfft.

I used to regularly get spliffed enough to go into screensaver mode.

Vaguely aware of something happening, until someone said something interesting, you could almost hear the CLICK, then the whirr of fans, the swimming fish would disappear and then back into life.

Used to be **** if it was password protected though.