ITNOW’s Popular Computer Science (PopCompSci) series highlights the most exciting and unexpected developments in computer science and technology. From AI breakthroughs to cybersecurity threats, we explore how innovations in tech are transforming everyday life around the world. Here we explore how research warns DNA sequencing technology vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS), the powerful technology behind precision medicine, cancer diagnostics and gene research, may be vulnerable to cyberattacks that could compromise sensitive data and pose broader biosecurity threats, according to a new study published in IEEE Access.
Led by Dr Nasreen Anjum from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Computing, the research is the first to comprehensively assess cyber-biosecurity risks throughout the entire NGS workflow — from sample preparation and sequencing to data analysis and interpretation.
‘NGS has revolutionised science and healthcare, but its complexity and connectivity also make it an attractive target for cybercriminals’, said Dr Anjum. ‘Our work is a wake-up call. Protecting genomic data isn’t just about encryption — it’s anticipating attacks that don’t yet exist.’
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NGS enables rapid, affordable sequencing of DNA and RNA, supporting advances in cancer treatment, drug development, agriculture and forensics. However, each workflow stage involves highly specialised and interconnected systems, creating multiple points of vulnerability.
The study warns that openly accessible genomic data could be exploited for surveillance, manipulation or malicious experimentation. Among the potential threats identified are synthetic DNA-encoded malware, AI-driven genome data manipulation and re-identification methods that could compromise individual privacy.
‘Genomic data is one of the most personal forms of data we have’, said Dr Mahreen-Ul-Hassan, a microbiologist and co-author from Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University. ‘If compromised, the consequences go far beyond a typical data breach.’
The research was conducted in collaboration with institutions across the UK and internationally, including Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Gloucestershire and Narjan University.
Dr Anjum urged governments, funding agencies, and academic institutions to prioritise investment in cyber-biosecurity research and policy, warning: ‘Without coordinated action, genomic data could be exploited for surveillance, discrimination, or even bioterrorism.’
Read the full study: Our DNA is at risk of hacking, warn scientists | University of Portsmouth
