Noe, a professional ethical hacker, has 10 implants strategically placed throughout his body that he utilizes for offensive security tasks. These implants allow him to evade security measures, gain access to buildings, and hack into individuals’ smartphones.
Noe represents a physical manifestation of a threat that has traditionally existed in the digital realm.
In an interview before attending the CISO Melbourne event on July 16 and 17, Noe stated that transhumans, instead of being a concept only found in science fiction, are currently living amongst us, bringing about new and exceptional security challenges.
Noe stated that he has 10 different microchips implanted in his body that allow him to interface with more than 300 physical access badging systems. He can also work with RFID and NFC technology, has magnets in his fingers, and has a credit card implanted in his hand.
The speaker explains that they cannot simply ask a doctor to surgically implant a device they bought online into their body. They would likely be referred to a mental health unit. Instead, they work with a body mechanic who specializes in unusual body modifications, such as splitting tongues or installing nose rings. The speaker specifically works with Pineapple Tangaroa, who performed the first implant of a Tesla key card into a person.
Inductive charging, the same technology used to wirelessly charge smartphones, is used to power the implants. Noe asserts that they do not trigger airport scanners.
Noe frequently utilizes social engineering tactics, such as requesting to watch a funny video on your phone, in order to swiftly hack into your device using a URL redirection attack.
Nearly every current smartphone is equipped with an NFC chip, which is the technology behind Apple Pay and Google Pay. Noe can use this technology to hack into a smartphone in under half a minute and even duplicate a corporate key card with ease.
Noe stated that there is significantly more personally identifiable information on a cell phone than in a wallet. Additionally, in the US, there are laws regarding health and privacy, and since these implants are considered medical devices because they are inside the body, authorities are not permitted to inquire about them.
Noe had a tough upbringing on the streets of Detroit, spending 15 years in various biker gangs before having a realization that he wanted to use his hacking skills for good. He now works for CyberArk, an Israeli cybersecurity provider, as a tech evangelist. He conducts attacks himself to gain insight into hacker behavior. His next project, which he has been working on for 18 months, involves surgically implanting a small computer into his leg. He also has a book, Human Hacked: My Life and Lessons as the World’s First Augmented Ethical Hacker, coming out later this year.
The main point he is attempting to convey is straightforward. He wants to raise awareness to the fact that there is a subgroup of individuals present. “I want to show the world that we exist. Not all of us are harmful, but some are,” he stated. “Lack of knowledge about individuals like myself and our abilities is what will enable me to evade your security measures.”
“How can you prevent an attack if you are unaware of its existence? In Melbourne, I will demonstrate five different attacks to showcase the destructive potential of these implants.”
Another point that Noe makes is that while there has been significant focus on cyber defenses and digital security, physical security is frequently neglected despite being equally important.
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“When you currently sign in, there is multifactor authentication in place to confirm your identity. However, we still have entrances in physical buildings with only one entrance point.”
In my view, the biggest threat from transhumanism is physical security. We should prioritize giving our physical locations as much attention as we do to our digital security.
