Health Rounds: DNA researchers are warned to beware of hackers
Publicly accessible DNA research is a prime target for hackers, according to researchers.
Keep up with the latest medical breakthroughs and healthcare trends with the Reuters Health Rounds newsletter. Sign up here.
The vulnerabilities present risks to the privacy of individuals, scientific integrity and national security, they said.
So-called next-generation DNA sequencing - the fast, modern way to determine the sequence of chemicals in a DNA molecule - lets researchers analyze large amounts of genetic material and discover variations associated with diseases, drug treatments and other biological phenomena.
But the highly specialized instruments, technologies and software have multiple points of vulnerability, the researchers reported in IEEE Access, opens new tab after reviewing previously published studies. And because many DNA datasets are openly accessible online, there are many possible ways for cybercriminals to access and misuse the information for surveillance, manipulation or malicious experimentation, they said.
Among the weaknesses, for example: biochips used with DNA sequencers are susceptible to malware attacks, including trojans that can masquerade as legitimate software, the researchers said. An infected microchip can leak sensitive sequencing data or manipulate genetic information, introducing inaccuracies in crucial genetic data essential for medical diagnostics and research, they added.
Another example they cited: attackers could analyze regions of DNA that have been "amplified" - that is, when many copies of that region have been created for research purposes - and find ways to match those regions against public genealogy databases to infer personal information associated with the DNA profiles, linking DNA samples back to individuals.
"Despite its importance, cyber-biosecurity remains one of the most neglected and poorly understood research disciplines and is leaving a critical gap in global biosecurity," study leader Dr. Nasreen Anjum of the University of Portsmouth's School of Computing said in a statement.
"To make sure our DNA information stays safe and is used only for good, we're urging more research and collaboration to find ways to keep this powerful technology secure," Anjum added.
Clogged neck arteries might not need reopening
Many patients with a narrowed neck artery may not need one of the risky stroke-preventing procedures that are the usual standard of care, according to a study conducted in Europe and Canada.
In the United States alone, well over 100,000 procedures are performed each year to reopen carotid arteries with narrowing, or stenosis. Removing the clogged section of the vessel has been shown to reduce the risk of a stroke. But the procedure itself can trigger a stroke.
Along with surgery or minimally invasive placement of a stent, these patients receive blood thinners and drugs to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Because these medications have improved over the years, researchers wondered whether routine carotid artery operations are still necessary in all patients.
The researchers recruited 429 mostly older adults with a carotid artery that was at least 50% clogged but whose risk of stroke - at less than 20% - was not very high. Everyone received the usual medication regimens, and half were also randomly assigned to undergo surgery or stenting.
Two years later, the researchers saw no differences in rates of stroke, heart attack or death in the two groups, according to a study in The Lancet Neurology, opens new tab.
This was true regardless of whether or not patients had been having symptoms from the narrowed carotid artery, such as sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden vision loss or blurred vision or dizziness.
An editorial, opens new tab published with the study notes that researchers will continue to follow the trial participants for another three years, and the results at that point will be more reliable.
In the meantime, the results suggest that for up to about 75% of patients, medication alone will probably be sufficient to reduce the risk of a stroke, study coauthor Dr. Paul Nederkoorn of Amsterdam UMC said in a statement.
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