Am I really becoming a cyborg? Human implants as the next big Security, Privacy and Ethics Debate

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Presented at DEEPSEC 2020 by

Prof. Hugl

Many say “We will all, probably, be chipped”, others say “Never”! However, chipping humans can be seen as one of the most invasive biometric technologies. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Technology (NFC) as related key technologies in the field of human implants are being used by hobbyists, scientists and companies. Reasons to use implants mainly refer to security reasons (identification, workplace surveillance), to healthcare (control of human biological functions of patients) or “just for fun” (to operate smart home applications, to pay by credit card, etc.).One the one hand, current challenges in human chipping show positive corporate and individual (estimated) advantages; on the other hand, research in security and privacy has shown a high potential of negative impacts. Thus, beside a next big security and privacy debate in the field, also ethical and societal questions arise.The presentation is organized as follows: The first part identifies current (surrounding) trends of the “Internet of bodies” like biohacking, body enhancement, and cyborgism. The second section discusses triggers for human chipping from an individual and corporate point of view. Existing and potentially upcoming issues of security, privacy and ethics are analyzed in the next part. Finally, theses for further corporate, individual, and also societal developments as well as potential new fields for research are being identified.