The expansion of neurotechnology beyond clinical environments could create a new source of highly sensitive information for cybercriminals and state-linked threat actors, according to research from Recorded Future’s Insikt Group.
The Emerging Threats to Neurotechnology report examines how the increasing adoption of neurotechnology could expose neurological, biometric and behavioural information to cyberthreats as larger volumes of data are collected and processed by commercial platforms.
Researchers identified state-sponsored espionage and intellectual property theft, cyberexploitation and disruption, data theft and extortion among the potential threats facing organisations developing or deploying the technology.
The report predicts that leading neurotechnology companies are likely to face increased targeting for intellectual property, with research and development in the sector potentially attracting state-sponsored attackers and malicious insiders.
It specifically identifies China as a potential source of increased intellectual property targeting. Military and higher education research laboratories could also become targets because of the research and proprietary information they hold, according to the report.
Alexander Leslie, Senior Government Affairs Advisor, Recorded Future, said: “Organisations operating in the neurotechnology field should establish rigorous continuous monitoring, vetting, and data access controls to counter industrial espionage and malicious insiders attempting to smuggle proprietary neurotech IP out of the organisation.”
“Insikt Group recommends to audit external manufacturing partners, hardware vendors, and subsidised software ecosystems (such as integrated wearable components) to prevent backdoor data access by foreign national security regimes.”
