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2010-05-27 11:45:35 | |
| A researcher at the University of Reading has inserted a RFID chip infected with a computer virus into his hand, claiming this could have serious implications. | |
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Dr Mark Gasson, from the University of Reading's School of Systems Engineering, is also working for the university's Cybernetic Intelligence Research Group, which is notorious for Kevin Warwick and his "Project Cyborg". The group has become known for their various experiments involving electronic implants, ranging from simple RFID chips to complex electrode arrays.
"By infecting my own implant with a computer virus we have demonstrated how advanced these technologies are becoming and also had a glimpse at the problems of tomorrow," Dr Gasson declared, as reported by IT PRO. He also told the BBC that if his chip had been allowed to connect to external systems, they too would have been corrupted. As it has been the case previously, serious medias and professionals are taking the announcement with a grain of salt. Graham Cluley of Sophos, for instance, told IT PRO that the university’s department has been "very clever at getting media attention." Of course, theoretically, RFID viruses and worms are a possibility, but practical applications are much more complex than simply infecting a chip with a virus like Gasson did. "The fact is that that code would not be read until an RFID reader came into contact with the affected RFID chip and even then the software connected with the RFID reader would need to have a vulnerability that would allow the code to be run," explained Cluley on his blog. One observation made by Cluley is that "the fact remains that it makes no difference if an RFID chip is implanted under your skin or stitched into the lining of your jacket." If, as Dr Gasson claims, an infected RFID chip can indeed pass malware to other systems, the actual location of the chip does not matter. A human being transporting and transmitting a computer virus simply makes the whole thing look more "cybernetic" and sensationalistic to the press. So the attempt at causing fear and the media attention gathered by the School of Systems Engineering happened because they talked about a computer-infected human being, but the fact is what they announced is not really different from saying a virus can be wirelessly transmitted from a device to another. "In other words, we haven't really learned anything," as Cluley says. | |
Reference 3: http://www.rfidvirus.org/
Reference 4: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10158517.stm
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