These Scientists Took Over a Computer by Encoding Malware in DNA
There’s no immediate threat, but as sequencing becomes more commonplace, researchers face security risks.
DNA is fundamentally a way of storing information. Usually, it encodes instructions for making living things—but it can be conscripted for other purposes. Scientists have used DNA to store books, recordings, GIFs, and even an Amazon gift card. And now, for the first time, researchers from the University of Washington have managed to take over a computer by encoding a malicious program in DNA.
Strands of DNA are made from four building blocks, represented by the—they converted a piece of malware into physical DNA strands. When those strands were sequenced, the malware launched and compromised the computer that was analyzing the sequences, allowing the team to take control of it.
