Security Issues in Brain – Computer Interfaces (BCI)

Abstract

Introduction: Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems emerged to harness and interpret the electrical activity of the brain for interaction with external devices. BCI, or Brain-Machine Interface (BMI), integrates hardware and software to facilitate human-environment interaction independent of peripheral nerves and muscles through control signals from electroencephalographic data. In the field of safety, BCI systems remain underdeveloped. The importance of safety in BCI systems has only recently attracted attention, leading to the emergence of terms such as neurosafety and neuroethics. The literature has identified categories of security threats that affect the integrity and confidentiality of BCI, but thorough research on these issues is still lacking.
Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to describe the potential security attacks that affect each phase of the BCI system cycle. Also, to analyse the impact of these attacks as well as the possible countermeasures that can be used and how they are documented based on the international literature.
Material and Method: A narrative literature review based on articles from scientific databases (PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar) using specific keywords in Greek and English, in printed books and internet references was carried out.
Results: A critical review of the literature reveals that the security field focusing on BCI system technologies is not yet mature, creating opportunities for malicious actors to launch attacks. Even unsophisticated attacks can, however, have a significant impact on both BCI system technologies and user security. In addition, the development of standardisation initiatives to unify BCI systems in terms of information is recognised as an opportunity. Well-studied areas, such as implantable medical devices and the Internet of Things, can provide guidance for the development of robust security mechanisms, and user awareness of security issues in BCI systems is considered crucial.
Conclusions: Significant advances in BCI research have been made in the last two decades, leveraging established methodologies in signal processing and pattern recognition. Many studies have improved the accuracy of BCI and have proposed methods for efficient information transfer despite challenges in brain signal processing. Consequently, the training time for users has been reduced, facilitating wider application of BCI for people with disabilities, including text processing and neuroprosthetics. Most BCI applications are still in the research phase and are not yet suitable for widespread everyday use. Current limitations include low information transfer rates, variable reliability, and inconvenience due to electrode maintenance and software handling requirements. There are many proposed countermeasures to mitigate the risks, but extensive research is still needed due to the significant threats associated with these systems.

Key-words: Brain-Computer Interface, BCI systems, Cybersecurity, Privacy, Neurosecurity, Neuroconfidentiality.
 Corresponding Author: Ioannis Stathoulis, Email: johnstathoulis@yahoo.gr, johnstathoulis@hotmail.com