Jacking In: Exploiting the Attack Surface of Neural Implants
Speaker: REDACTED
Brain-computer interfaces are no longer science fiction. From Neuralink to deep brain stimulators to cochlear implants, neural devices are being implanted in human skulls today — and most of them were never designed with security in mind.
This talk explores the emerging threat landscape of brain-computer interfaces: what's actually implanted, how these devices communicate, and where they break. We'll walk through the attack surface — Bluetooth and RF protocols with no authentication, firmware with no signing, proprietary stacks with no public scrutiny — and demonstrate how an attacker in range could intercept, replay, or inject signals into a device sitting inside someone's head.
Beyond the technical, we'll touch on what brainjacking actually means in practice: inducing pain, suppressing motor control, or manipulating mood and cognition in patients who have no way to opt out in the moment. We'll also cover what the research community and regulators are (and aren't) doing about it.
No prior neuroscience knowledge required. If you can think about RF exploitation and embedded firmware, you already have the mental model.