Converging and emerging threats to health security

Area of Science:

• Biosecurity and Health Security
• Technology Convergence
• Risk Analysis

Background:

• Biological science advancements have surpassed existing biosecurity regulations and legal frameworks.
• Convergence of synthetic biology, data science, and computing creates novel health applications with dual-use potential.
• Cybercrime, such as ransomware attacks on hospitals, poses a significant threat to healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the evolving risk landscape due to technology convergence in biological sciences.
• To highlight the inadequacy of current societal preparedness for emerging biosecurity threats.
• To advocate for new cross-disciplinary approaches to risk analysis in health security.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the convergence of biological sciences and other technologies.
• Identification of emerging dual-use risks and their implications.
• Examination of challenges in biological weapons, antimicrobial resistance, laboratory security, and healthcare cybersecurity.

Main Results:

• Convergent technologies dramatically expand the methods available for both benefit and harm.
• New synthetic biological weapons and sophisticated cyber threats present unprecedented challenges.
• Existing regulatory and mitigation frameworks are insufficient for the altered risk landscape.

Conclusions:

• Societal preparedness for rapidly evolving technology convergence and dual-use risks is inadequate.
• Health security challenges, like precision harm, require cross-disciplinary, international solutions beyond traditional silos.
• A new paradigm for risk analysis is necessary to address the complex, interconnected threats in the modern era.