DNA Sequencing Faces New Cybersecurity Risks

Automated DNA sequencing machines. Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) — the same revolutionary technology behind the development of person...

Automated DNA sequencing machines.

Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) — the same revolutionary technology behind the development of personalized medicines, cancer diagnostics, infectious disease tracking, and breakthrough gene research — could soon become a prime target for cyberattacks if proper security measures are not implemented.

According to a new study published in IEEE Access, researchers are raising alarms over vulnerabilities in the DNA sequencing ecosystem. They warn that the powerful tools and data pipelines used to decode genetic information are often lacking the cybersecurity protections necessary to prevent unauthorized access, data manipulation, and even deliberate creation of biological threats.

Targeted next-generation sequencing NGS-based cancer genomic testing.

The risk lies not just in the theft of personal genomic data, which could expose individuals to privacy violations, but also in the possibility of tampering with sequencing processes. Such interference could lead to erroneous scientific conclusions, misdiagnoses, or even the synthetic engineering of harmful biological agents.

Experts emphasize that many NGS devices, along with the cloud platforms used to process and store sequencing data, are built for speed and efficiency rather than security. Without encryption, authentication protocols, or intrusion detection systems, these platforms become attractive targets for hackers seeking to exploit biomedical research, healthcare institutions, and even national biodefense operations.

In a 2024 report by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the healthcare sector was identified as a growing focus for cybercriminals. The integration of complex biomedical technologies like NGS further expands the attack surface, demanding urgent action from manufacturers, laboratories, and regulatory agencies alike.

Some organizations have already started responding. Companies such as Illumina and Thermo Fisher Scientific have increased efforts to implement cybersecurity best practices within their sequencing products. However, experts argue that a comprehensive framework — combining hardware security, software resilience, and continuous threat monitoring — is necessary to truly safeguard genomic data and prevent biothreats.

As genetic technologies continue to drive advances in precision medicine, agriculture, and synthetic biology, the need to protect DNA sequencing infrastructure from cyber threats has never been more critical. Without a proactive approach, the same tools that promise to heal could one day be weaponized.