Genetic information insecurity as state of the art

Genetic information is being generated at an increasingly rapid pace, offering advances in science and medicine that are paralleled only by the threats and risk present within the responsible ecosystem. Human genetic information is identifiable and contains sensitive information, but genetic data security is only recently gaining attention. Genetic data is generated in an evolving and distributed cyber-physical ecosystem, with multiple systems that handle data and multiple partners that utilize the data.

This paper defines security classifications of genetic information and discusses the threats, vulnerabilities, and risk found throughout the entire genetic information ecosystem. Laboratory security was found to be especially challenging, primarily due to devices and protocols that were not designed with security in mind. Likewise, other industry standards and best practices threaten the security of the ecosystem. A breach or exposure anywhere in the ecosystem can compromise sensitive information. Extensive development will be required to realize the potential of this emerging field while protecting the bioeconomy and all of its stakeholders.