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Brain Waves Surfing: (In)security in EEG Technologies

Alejandro Hernández

Alejandro Hernández audits commercial EEG headsets and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs), demonstrating radio eavesdropping and subliminal P300 biometric probing.

Summary

The Emergence of Consumer Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

Commercial Electroencephalography (EEG) headsets allow users to control applications, monitor mental focus, and authenticate using brainwave telemetry.

Auditing Wireless EEG Communication Protocols

Alejandro Hernández analyzes consumer EEG headsets, discovering unencrypted Bluetooth streams leaking raw electrical brainwave signals to nearby eavesdroppers.

Subliminal P300 Biometric Probing Attacks

Hernández demonstrates how displaying rapid visual stimuli triggers characteristic P300 brainwave responses, allowing an attacker to deduce PIN codes and recognized faces.

Neurosecurity Hardening and Data Privacy

The author advocates for cryptographic encryption on neuro-telemetry streams, operating system access controls for brainwave feeds, and privacy regulations.

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