SECURING THE FUTURE: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF CYBERBIOSECURITY IN A DIGITAL AGE
(Conference Paper)
In the modern era, where the line between biological and digital information is increasingly blurred, cyberbiosecurity has emerged as a critical field of interest. Biological data is routinely measured, monitored, altered, and digitized, enabling the manipulation of biological systems through digital means. This convergence of biotechnology and cybernetics poses novel threats to public health, economic stability, and national security, necessitating a robust cyberbiosecurity framework.
Cybersecurity measures are paramount in a world where digital information travels across networks of electronic devices, potentially exposing sensitive biological data to unauthorized access and misuse. Biosecurity, traditionally concerned with protecting against natural or intentional biological threats, now must also consider the risks posed by digital vulnerabilities. Together, these disciplines form the foundation of cyberbiosecurity, which aims to safeguard the information flow within and between biological and medical systems.
The scope of cyberbiosecurity is broad, addressing concerns ranging from the privacy of patient data and the security of public health databases to the integrity of diagnostic test results and public biological repositories. Automated laboratory systems, disease surveillance, outbreak management, and the security of proprietary biological engineering are all areas where the integrity of data is paramount. The rise of biohacking groups, which exploit specialized knowledge to generate illegal profits through synthetic biology and biotechnology, further underscores the urgency of developing robust cyberbiosecurity measures.
Criminal activities such as extortion, identity theft, and the illegal drug trade are expected to increase, especially in developing countries. These activities now extend into the realm of cyberbiocrime, a field that has burgeoned with the advent of the internet and has the potential to significantly impact both society and individual health.
The extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s damage, for instance, illustrates the potential impact of future cyberbiocrime and highlights the significance of prophylactic measures. Of the COVID-19 phishing attacks, 54% were classified as scams, 34% as brand impersonation attacks, 11% as blackmail and 1% as business email compromise (BEC).
The pandemic’s continuous struggle exposes a flaw in our healthcare system, our cyberbiosecurity procedures, and our preparedness to act. Cyberbiosecurity would certainly necessitate multidisciplinary competence to detect and prevent, including cooperation with computer scientists, bioinformaticians, molecular biologists, and information technologists, among others.
