Scientist Infects Self With Computer Virus 393
superapecommando writes "A British scientist claims to have become the first human to be infected by a computer virus, in an experiment he says has important implications for the future of implantable technology. Dr Mark Gasson from the University of Reading infected a computer chip with the virus, then implanted it in his hand and transmitted the virus to a PC to prove that malware can move between human and computer."
stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
just plain stupid
epic fail (Score:5, Insightful)
stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
No, really (Score:4, Insightful)
What a fscking moron
Or a show-off.
Or better, a fscking show-off moron
I couldn't think of anything more irrelevant, like, REALLY
I mean, this is Uri Geller type of BS
The mind boggles.
How is this human to computer? (Score:4, Insightful)
Infect chip.
Implant chip.
Get chip to infect computer.
How was it ever contracted, let alone transmitted by the human? You could wear the chip as a necklace, tie it to a paper airplane, or just throw it and get the same results.
Proves nothing (Score:5, Insightful)
What exactly was this meant to demonstrate? (Score:5, Insightful)
Not quite an infection yet (Score:5, Insightful)
concept already well-proven (Score:3, Insightful)
How is this different from transmitting a virus via floppy diskette, other than the fact that he carried it on the inside of his hand, and the read/write mechanism was RF instead of magnetic?
Re:I infected a computer with a virus (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Proves nothing (Score:5, Insightful)
As Tyler Durden said, "Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken."
-Peter
Re:stupid (Score:4, Insightful)
So he takes a computer that can accept new software, inserts it in his hand, and puts new software on it. How novel.
Worded poorly, and not news (Score:3, Insightful)
All he really did was just implant a chip in his hand that had a virus on it. Then he demonstrated that the chip would actually transmit the virus. Which isn't really a huge shock, since he was using it to communicate with other devices in the first place. According TFA, he used it for security passes and his phone.
So, at some point, he turned this into: "Pacemakers are at risk"....which, since they're not communication devices...no, no they're not.
Sounds to me like someone lost their grant money or something, and was trying to justify eating doughnuts for 3 years and doing nothing else.
Bigger implications... (Score:5, Insightful)
/. needs a policy in Captain Cyorg news (Score:4, Insightful)
http://www.google.com/search?q=captain+cyborg [google.com]
Ah, without clicking on any links (we have to stop feeding that fraud), google let me know this was the work of his sidekick, not him directly. Now, I demand that this fraud be fully identified in all future slashdot posts about him or his minions (an addendum to this thread would be wise, too), because HE'S A FUCKING CHARLATAN!
Seriously, he called himself the "first cyborg" for putting an RFID chip in his skin years after people have had pacemakers, cochlear implants, and fucking wires in their brains (for vision to the blind and computer communications for the paralyzed). All reporters who called him "the first cyborg" should be fired, all "news" outlet that published that crap should be fined and stripped of all journalistic-perks (press passes, immunity from certain police procedures, etc). He's an attention whore who pulls these stupid publicity stunts to promote his books, stop helping him with his frauds.
Re:stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
Agree. Transmitting from a chip to PC or vice-versa, is no big deal. The fact he put it inside his body doesn't alter that ability.
I think i'm safe (Score:4, Insightful)
Simple carrier (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
BS-level "science" (Score:3, Insightful)
What we do not need in the IT security field is stupid publicity stunts.
OK, gone too far. (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm not one to complain about /. editors; but, come on!
This is "News for Nerds - Stuff That Matters." Did CN just hire some recent college grads that majored in Type-Writer Maintenance and wouldn't know the difference between HD Memory and computer memory?
Just....plain....stupid.
Re:stupid (Score:4, Insightful)
Ye gods, I've got one even scarier.
Let's assume, for a moment, that we will one day see an implantable device that acts as a "mechanical kidney". What I'm imagining is something similar to my cousin's ileostomy (he has Crohn's Disease), in which one kidney is replaced with a filtering device that either dumps waste into an externally connected bag, or holds it in a surgically implanted reservoir until it can be emptied. Something that complicated would almost certainly need some level of control, and I'm sure there are a thousand and one things that could be analyzed in real time.
"Mr. Pratt, this is Packmonger Insurance calling to inform you that your payment is officially past due. Per the terms of your plan's contract, we are reducing your blood filtration rate by 10%. This is enough of a decrease to cause low-risk symptoms of renal failure, without irreparably damaging your other major organs. Please consider your impending itching, joint aches, and/or increased urination an incentive to pay on time in the future. Thank you, and have a wonderful day."
No.... (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm never going to infect my computer with a rhinovirus, or a common cold, or polio. It's not going to get smallpox (even in the lab), chickenpox, or herpes.
When we start making computers out of biological components, then we can have this discussion. In the meantime, I could implant an infected chip in my shoe and make a claim.
Stupid.
Re:Proves nothing (Score:3, Insightful)
I think it's better to view this as two distinct discoveries:
1) He showed that a computer virus can be transmitted from one computer to another.
So, something even the most computer illiterate person has known for decades.
2) He showed that having one of the computers inside a living organism doesn't grant it magic anti-virus powers and somehow prevent (1).
Something only the remarkably and creatively crazy ever thought wouldn't be the case.
I'm pretty impressed at the banality.
Next up for the illustrious University of Reading: Butcher knives can chop your dick off, even if you're thinking about Marshmallow Peeps while swinging the blade!
Re:This is a doctor? (Score:3, Insightful)
One that's wasting tax payer money on Dr. Who toys.
Re:epic fail (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
He caught a computer virus, as evidenced from the ability to infect another computer. However, he is far from the first. I sneezed on a keyboard, my friend used the keyboard, and later he sneezed on his keyboard. Using the scientist's criteria, that makes it a computer virus (can transmit from one computer to another). I was infected with my cold over two decades ago, and I doubt I was the first.
Re:Bigger implications... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:No, not really (Score:2, Insightful)
Anyone with a programable pacemaker, insulin pump or nerve stim is more of a cyborg than these jokers. I've had a programable device jamming the nerves in my face for more than two years.
Re:I infected a computer with a virus (Score:3, Insightful)
Most keyboards are infected with muffin crumbs.