BLUF
Digitizing DNA has opened up new vulnerabilities to the cyber security landscape. It also raises privacy concerns and makes people wonder where the line for privacy will be drawn. This opens up questions of whether an employer could ask for your DNA to consider you for a position and how that information could be protected.
Privacy
Digitizing DNA is no longer an idea from the future, and it isn’t going away anytime soon. It does raise the question: Do the benefits outweigh the risk? Julliete Rizkallah describes DNA as the “Ultimate PII”. Hackers will be able to retrieve your DNA and use it for there personal gain. In Rizkallah’s article “Hacking Humans: Protecting our DNA From Cybercriminals” they compare our digital DNA to a social security card. Hackers can steal your identity using a social security number, but you can easily replace a social security number. We can’t get new DNA, it is permanent. (Rizhallah, 2018)
Employment
Currently, it is illegal for an employer to ask for your DNA during the interview process and can’t request your medical history. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 protects Americans from being discriminated against for their genetic information. As digital DNA continues to evolve, employers might be interested in the genetic makeup of their employees. While it is illegal to discriminate against employees’ DNA, people might voluntarily give up their DNA to prove that they have what it takes to get the job. (Thibodeau, 2016)
Cyberbiosecurity
DNA opens up new security vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit, so security specialists need to be vigilant of these new threats. Stopping hackers from exploiting the innovations in digital DNA will be impossible, but it can be slowed down. People need to be aware of incoming threats and find new ways to stop these attacks. (Rizhallah, 2018)
Conclusion
Innovation and new vulnerabilities are inevitable in the cybersecurity industry and digital DNA seems to be here to stay. The biological and digital world come closer everyday and it is up to the cybersecurity professionals to find the best defenses against these threats. People should also be aware of where their DNA is going to be because it is irreplaceable and a breach could cause irreparable damage to their privacy.
References
Rizkallah, Juliette. “Hacking Humans: Protecting Our DNA from Cybercriminals.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 Nov. 2018
https://app.perusall.com/courses/202530_cyse200t_33004-cybersecurity-technol-society/hacking-humans_-protecting-our-dna-from-cybercriminals?
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Thibodeau, Patrick. “DNA testing for jobs may be on its way, warns Gartner” Computerworld, 18 Oct. 2016 https://www.computerworld.com/article/1668010/dna-testing-for-jobs-may-be-on-its-way-warns-gartner.html