"Brainwave Devices Can Leak Sensitive Medical Conditions and Personal Information"

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are devices that allow people to use their brain activity to control their computers. A study conducted by UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) researchers on the privacy of BCI devices found that these devices can reveal a user's personal information and privacy-sensitive medical conditions such as their age and whether they have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). It was discovered that access to the brainwave signals recorded by BCI devices is not controlled. BCI devices' lack of control over access to brainwave signals can allow attackers to use malicious apps or websites to record a user's brainwaves as they browse the internet. The researchers designed an attack, called Hemorrhage, to analyze brainwave signals captured when a user views an image or video to determine whether they have an AUD and belong in a certain age group. This article continues to discuss the use of BCI headsets, as well as the study and its findings on the privacy of these devices. 

UAB reports "Brainwave Devices Can Leak Sensitive Medical Conditions and Personal Information"