UK Scientists Infected With Computer Virus

Computer viruses are something that most computer users are familiar with. We know these infections can steal our personal data and render our computers useless. A scientist in the UK claims that he has become the first person infected with a computer virus. The claim isn't as strange as it sounds.

The scientists took a small implantable ID chip similar to the type used to identify pets. He infected the chip with a specific sort of computer virus and then implanted the chip into his hand. The chip used allows the scientists to pass through security doors and activate his mobile phone.

The virus the researcher introduced to the chip also passes copies of itself to external control systems as the chip is read. That means that each security door he goes though is infected with the virus. The researcher is Dr. Mark Gasson form the University of Reading, and he admits that his test is merely a proof of concept. Proving that the implanted device can infect other systems has some serious implications for the future of implantable chips for medical monitoring and other uses.