Engineered virus which hacks & controls brain: Doyou mind?

[flickkanhuii]

Today, an average computer user cannot even keep the
machine secured. So what will the world look like when
hacking your mind becomes as easy as infecting your
machine with a computer virus?
Human knowledge on DNA nanotechnology and bio-
molecular computing increases exponentially with every
passing year. Thus, protecting your own brain from
security breaches could become the highest priority
challenge of the 21st century.
Synthetic biology is becoming one of the most powerful
forms of technology in the world. But many people fear
that scientists’ games with the genetics of life forms
could spin out of control and open the door to a new
age of bio-hacking and bio-terrorism.
Natural living viruses and bacteria are not only making
people sick, they also control the behavior and
condition of the hosts, though without any malice. But
the consequences of getting exposed to an artificially-
created virus could be much more serious than a
headache or a fever.
“Synthetic biology will lead to new forms of
bioterrorism,” security expert Marc Goodman told the
Daily Mail. “Bio-crime today is akin to computer
crime in the early ’80s.”
Viruses and bacteria are manipulating the chemicals
inside the human body and, by programming them to
send the right agents into the brain, the bio-
programmer potentially can take control over the
victim’s behavior.
We are seeing the opening stages of the synthetic
biology industry. Some basic tasks like decoding,
insertion and excision of parts of the DNA, and
relatively successful attempts of cloning is pretty much
everything that modern science can carry through.
But in the ’80s, computer science technology was
actually at the same level of maturity. At that time no
one could really believe that 20 years later any person
would have a greater power over the computer – and
not only the one that belongs to him – than the best
present-day programmers.
Cells are living computers and DNA is a programming
language that can be used to control and influence life
forms, believes Andrew Hessel of Singularity University,
on NASA's research campus.
“Synthetic biology – the writing of life,” Hessel
says. “It's growing fast. It will grow faster than
computer technologies.”
Programming the DNA, however, is more of a
speculation at this point. There is no development
environment or any frameworks to manipulate the cell.
Just like in computer programming, a set of basic
instructions and codes has to be developed before an
average coder could perform some task of greater
complexity.
The industry is developing rapidly and the future of
DNA programming seems bright. But drawing parallels
with computer science, it would be better for
humankind to recognize the problem of “malicious bio-
programmers” with all possible seriousness and
proactively develop defensive and counter-offensive
methods.