Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS)—the same technology which is powering the development of tailor-made medicines, cancer diagnostics, infectious disease tracking, and gene research—could become a prime target for hackers.

A study published in IEEE Access highlights growing concerns over how this powerful sequencing tool—if left unsecured—could be exploited for data breaches, privacy violations, and even future biothreats.

Led by Dr. Nasreen Anjum from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Computing, it is the first comprehensive research study of cyber-biosecurity threats across the entire NGS workflow.