Our DNA could become target of cyber hackers warns UoG expert

A University of Gloucestershire computing expert is warning how our DNA – the unique genetic code that makes us who we are – is at risk of being stolen by cyber criminals due to inadequate security systems.

Dr Abu Alam, Senior Lecturer in Computing, was part of a research team comprising experts from universities in the UK, Saudia Arabia and Pakistan, that carried out the first in-depth study of its kind to look closely at the cyber security challenges across the next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) process.

NGS technology can quickly and inexpensively analyse DNA, which allows scientists to examine the order of DNA building blocks to understand variations, identify diseases, or study gene function. This sequencing supports important advances in cancer research, drug development, agricultural innovation and forensic science.

While NGS-gathered DNA datasets are driving the development of societal benefits such as tailor-made medicines, cancer diagnostics and infectious disease tracking, the study highlighted concerns over how this same information is vulnerable to hackers who wish to do harm.

If DNA datasets are accessed by hackers through inadequate security measures, this could lead to research being disrupted, private and medical information being revealed, and the potential for future biothreats through malicious experimentation.

Dr Alam, from the University’s School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences, said: “Next-generation DNA sequencing is changing the face of modern science.

“It’s helping doctors tailor treatments to individual patients, improving how we detect and treat cancer, tracking the spread of diseases, and even supporting more resilient crops in agriculture.

“This powerful technology allows scientists to read DNA quickly and in massive amounts, giving them an unprecedented look into genetic information – but with great power comes great risk.

“This advanced technology has serious security vulnerabilities that, if left unprotected, could be exploited by hackers, leading to major risks not just to people’s privacy, but to scientific research, national security, and global health.

“Unlike typical cyber threats that attack computers and networks, threats in this area combine biology, software, and data. Protecting against them requires expertise across many fields, including genetics, computer science and cyber defence.

“The sequencing process includes several stages: collecting and preparing a biological sample, running it through sequencing machines, processing the data, and interpreting the results.

“Each of these steps uses specific tools, software, and internet-connected systems, which means there are many points where cyber attackers could strike.

“As many DNA datasets are openly accessible online, it is possible for cybercriminals to misuse the information for surveillance, manipulation, or malicious experimentation.”

Dr Abu Alam said an alarming concern was the threat of DNA-encoded malware, which in a similar way to how a harmful code that can disrupt computer systems, has the potential to be hidden inside synthetic DNA.

This means that when this DNA is sequenced, the code could infect the sequencing machines or the software used to analyse the results, which in theory could enable hackers to alter data, disrupt research, or even design genetic changes that go unnoticed.

Dr Alam said: “Imagine hackers using actual DNA as a way to attack a computer system – that’s not science fiction, but a real possibility. It shows how the line between digital and biological security is becoming increasingly blurred.

“To fight these risks, organisations must put policies and practices in place to ensure secure handling of samples, strong encryption of data, strict access controls, and the use of AI to detect unusual activity in real time.”

The research was led by University of Portsmouth in collaboration with University of Gloucestershire, Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, Narjan University in Saudi Arabia and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University in Pakistan.