DNA Sequencer Security Breach: A Recipe for Research Ruin or Just Another Day in Cyber Circus?
Argentine cybersecurity shop Eclypsium warns that Illumina’s iSeq 100 DNA sequencer has a BIOS vulnerability, potentially inviting malware and ransomware attacks. With no secure boot or firmware protection, hackers could disrupt crucial genetic research. While Illumina has issued a fix, the issue highlights how vulnerable such devices can be.
Hot Take:
Who knew DNA sequencers had more in common with time travelers from the 2010s? Apparently, Illumina’s iSeq 100 is living in a BIOS time warp, running firmware so ancient it should come with a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign for malware. While this might sound like a plot twist from a sci-fi thriller, it’s really a cybersecurity nightmare waiting to happen. So, unless you want your lab’s DNA sequences to rhyme with ‘ransomware,’ it’s time to upgrade those sequencers before they get sequenced themselves!
Key Points:
- Eclypsium found security flaws in Illumina’s DNA sequencing devices.
- The iSeq 100 runs on an outdated BIOS from 2018 with known vulnerabilities.
- Lack of Secure Boot and firmware protections make it susceptible to attacks.
- Researchers warn of increasing BIOS/UEFI firmware attacks.
- Illumina has informed users and provided a fix for the security issues.