Cyborg Security: The implications of human IoT devices

So you’re thinking about becoming a cyborg. It may or may not surprise you to learn that there are several of us around already, and while cybernetic enhancement can greatly improve our lives, it also has its downsides. Adaptive devices used by people with disabilities and medical conditions have been failing in unexpected ways for years, despite oversight from government bodies. Recreational implants, which are much less regulated, have even more scope for interesting bugs. On the other hand, while medical implants are difficult for an individual to build themselves, it’s possible to make your own recreational implant and get someone to install it for you - theoretically.

How do we secure medical devices that constantly collect telemetry? How hard would it be for someone to hack that NFC chip that you got implanted in your hand? And when we find flaws in these machines, how are we meant to fix them if they’re already in our bodies? Whether you’re interested in joining the human IoT network for recreational purposes, want to explore, code, and create implantable devices yourself, or have a medical need for augmentation, join me for this briefing to prepare for the security and privacy implications of connecting ourselves directly to the Internet.