DNA Security Through Molecular Cryptography

As genetic engineering capabilitiesĀ become more democratized and accessible, the strategic importance of securing our genetic dataĀ becomes more critical. The potential threats posed by the proliferation of advanced gene editingĀ technologies and genetic data has become more worrisome in light of the COVID-19 globalĀ pandemic and impact on military readiness, agile combat employment, and U.S. economic andĀ national security. In December 2019, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence andĀ Security warned servicemembers of the dangers of exposing their genetic information in a memoĀ circulated across the entire DoD. This was followed in February 2021 by a blunt warning fromĀ the Office of the Director of National IntelligenceÆs (ODNI) National Counterintelligence andĀ Security Center (NCSC) that the PeopleÆs Republic of ChinaÆs ōmass collection of DNAģposesĀ serious risks, not only to the privacy of Americans, but also to the economic and nationalĀ security of the U.S.ö The broader biosecurity community has recognized that the synergiesĀ between biotechnology and other enabling capabilities provide tremendous potential promise forĀ advancement, but also raise significant privacy concerns.Ā Due to cybersecurity challenges related to device and software vulnerabilities in the lab, novelĀ methods for securing genetic information are required. A molecular cryptography method forĀ genetic information security, invented and patented by Dr. Sawaya, involves secure, randomĀ identifiers used to tag pieces of DNA. When each individual DNA molecule from a sampleĀ receives its own secret identifier, and these tagged molecules are pooled with other samples,Ā knowledge about which identifier belongs to which molecule is required to demultiplex the poolĀ after it has been sequenced. This effectively conceals information within a pool of molecules,Ā protecting this information before it ever touches insecure computers and networks. AdvancedĀ methods can also be applied, for example using decoy DNA molecules that also have randomĀ identifiers. 1Ā A patent pending method with such a guarantee has been invented by GeneInfoSec. First, a pool of security tags is generated through a random chemical process, suchĀ that their sequences are unknown. Then, these tags are affixed to a surface or to magnetic beads. The tags are then copied through polymerization. The un-affixed copies of these tags are then carefully separated from the original tags. The original tags can then be used in molecular cryptography. The pool of the copies of these tags remains as the only source of informationĀ about the random sequences present, and this pool can be sequenced in a trusted environment toĀ obtain a one-time pad. This allows for zero-trust molecular cryptography, in which the ability toĀ decode the sequence data is entirely controlled by the customer using the technology.Ā