With the recent news that hackers stole data from around 6.9 million users of the genetic testingvcompany 23andMe, it’s understandable that some might have concerns as to what someone could do with that information.
Whilst no DNA records were reported stolen, it does beg the question of the potential consequences if they had been. After all, you can change your address or your name, but unless you subject yourself to a hefty amount of radiation (in which case, someone having your DNA would be the least of your concerns), you’d be hard-pressed to alter your genetic material. So once someone has your DNA sequence, can they glean anything of importance from it?
It depends on who’s looking
Of course, some things can be interpreted from our DNA – otherwise, genetic testing services wouldn’t exist, nor would we be moving towards healthcare personalized by our genetics – but a certain level of expertise is required.
You can read the full article by Holly Large published in the iflscience web site at: https://www.iflscience.com/what-can-someone-do-with-your-dna-sequence-71875.