Linking Computers to the Brain : Overview of Cybersecurity Threats and Possible Solutions

Abstract

The brain-computer interface (BCI) is a growing field of technology, and it has become clear that BCI systems’ cybersecurity needs amelioration. When BCI devices are developed with wireless connection capabilities, more often than not, this creates more surface area for attackers to concentrate their attacks. The more invasive BCI technology is used, the greater the threat to the users’ physical health. In this paper, we summarize and outline the main cybersecurity threats and challenges that BCI systems may face now and in the future. Furthermore, we present avenues for the future BCI systems including cybersecurity solutions and requirements. We emphasize the importance of the health layer to be considered as important as technical layers in BCI systems as people cannot endure life-threatening situations where attackers could cause permanent brain damage to the BCI user.