The Man Biohacking Encryption From His Garage

A pioneer in the biohacking scene since the mid-2000s, Amal Graafstra's been experimenting with RFID implants for more than a decade. Now Graafstra is developing implants that go beyond RFIDs.
In episode 2 of Humans+, Motherboard travels to his company Dangerous Things' garage headquarters to get an early look at UKI, a prototype implant focused on encryption that's expected to be released in 2017. Amal hopes that this technology will bring us one step closer to merging our physical and digital identities, but how will society react to having these technologies implanted beneath our skin?
WATCH NEXT:
This Mind-Controlled Bionic Arm Can Touch and Feel: bit.ly/2bShxqj
Subscribe to MOTHERBOARD: bit.ly/Subscrib...
Follow MOTHERBOARD
Facebook: / motherboardtv
Twitter: / motherboard
Tumblr: / motherboardtv
Instagram: / motherboardtv
More videos from the VICE network: www. vic...

[@TheArabsolga]

This is pretty cool but FUCK ME IS THAT A LARGE DIAMETER NEEDLE OR WHAT....

[@aristonia1991]

i was thinking the same lmao

[@romandewys2076]

Play-Doh that wasn't a needle bruh it was a turkey baster

[@expiredlamb2000]

I will make sure to remember watching this video, so that i can tell my kids about the guy doing this from his garage, and that he was the one to start the cyborg revolution. Then my two year old son looks up to me and says: " I know. School downloaded it to my brain last week"

[@TheBrunswicksfinest]

Expired Lamb downloaded to your kids brain thats so fucked up they can put whatever agenda they want its removal of free will

[@sentvero2025]

You're a sick human

[@UsingCheats]

Why is a 2 year old at school

[@wheelbegood]

UsingCheats thats another problem 😁

[@TrellyTrell183]

Maximus Campbell you a dumb ass bot 🤖

[@zaSpeaker]

You're not doing yourself a favor by naming your company Dangerous Things. It's like instead of having the name McDonalds, they are named Unhealthy Things.

[@madroon7]

I thought the name was rather off myself. The name alone would keep me from buying one. Far from professional.

[@MikeTrieu]

Screw "professional". I sincerely hope this never goes "mainstream". It'll prevent the know-nothings from abusing the technology.

[@entox.]

fuck the normies this shit is unique and mainstream marketing should solely be used for shit that normies are going to buy, like shitty $800 phones.

[@doublebubleguy12]

Idk I mean there is an American audiophile company called schiit pronounced "shit" and they have taken off in sales and make some of the best products available for the audiophile market. Dangerous things is a catchy name that won't be forgotten.

[@NickRoman]

It think it's supposed to appeal to edgy people who think it's cool because yeah, normies aren't going to do that anyway. It's supposed to be radical.

[@jaqb17]

I would rather use some kind of wrist band instead

[@captainamerica7042]

good idea instead putting shit in your skin

[@thompson12345]

Exactly.. this guy is jumping a step. First get the technology into a wrist band or a watch, then after the product is widely adopted people may consider putting the technology under their skin.

[@AlexRandomkat]

The whole point to this is to make it discreet and so that you never lose it. You lose your encryption key, then you pretty much loose access to anything you encrypted with it, and possibly hand control over to someone else. Since it is discreet, nobody will suspect you have an encryption key in your arm. Now yes, I agree this guy is jumping two steps ahead in the process, but using a wristband that you can lose and someone else can easily find defeats the whole purpose of having a personal cryptographic key. Now I am not a "biohacker," (is that what people with these implants are called?), but I think implants are much better for this purpose than a wristband or USB drive. Also some people have suggested storing encryption keys on your phone, but the problem with having the encryption keys on your phone is that it is connected to the Internet, and that means someone can figure out a way to gain access to it; phones are inherently insecure. So in my opinion, implants are better if they are done safely to minimize infections and future risks.

[@SMNormandy]

Plus he even stated at the end of the video, it was meant to be a way for him to have that security without even thinking about it.

[@Preset1]

+Alex Randomkat you make a lot of great points. however, if I came up to you with a machete...

[@eukaryotic0703]

journalist hipster lvl 9000

[@acree3739]

lvl 10000

[@thecivilanarchist6289]

over 9000

[@Nuker-jc6qo]

TheCivilAnarchist lol

[@eukaryotic0703]

yh shup silverman right zac, yh fuck you silverman we all hate you

[@fakedoctor7527]

9001

[@pancho9615]

I feel like we are slipping into the world of Watch Dogs

[@graveslaveofficial]

this is awesome. I really hope this brings him more business. the rfid weapon locks are extremely practical and should be implemented more widely.

[@rompjez1]

He really breezes over "it's very difficult to steal". Doesn't want to have to think about that one

[@technophobian2962]

Also very obvious if someone steals it.

[@RedLightGamers]

A finger print scanner would work just as well... don't really see the point of this

[@GPT-X938]

But your finger would need to make contact and it can't store information

[@HizkiFWOfficial]

You could create a hash from your fingerprint and use it as an encryption key or sth

[@mailenrico5501]

Totally agree. How is this better than a fingerprint?

[@rsmith155]

Those are easily fooled with tape

[@jacobbenson3620]

The point is that this will lead to better,more integrated technology,just like why we keep building quantum computers that have thousands of times less processing power than regular computers,because they will keep getting better and better until they surpass the alternatives.

[@porteal8986]

I like the idea of using an implanted rfid chip, but what worries me is that anyone could scan my chip if they get close enough, which is both a security problem, and yet another privacy problem.

[@jshep2194]

hate to break it to you but they already can, if you carry a smart phone or a cell phone.

[@paranomad7007]

That's the point of the uki

[@ChristinaKilgore]

Implanting things into me is fine and all, but I wouldn't be able to handle a needle that size sticking into me.

[@jacobbenson3620]

Mavu-in Kirugoa they usually give you an injection of lidocaine beforehand to stop any discomfort or pain.

[@theholderscock]

Mavu-in Kirugoa big needle= fine Small and pointy= aww hel nal

[@lumikera]

@Liam O'Luachra Did it hurt like a piercing?

[@rav3ndust]

Hurt less than getting your blood drawn. When I got my implant, I thought it would hurt, too, but it was barely noticeable.

[@michaelyoung7171]

Don't take the Rifd chip inside of it's the mark of the beast once you take it the government is going to control you and you will become a slave to them and the results get much worst you will not enter heaven and you will be going to hell.

[@tom123216]

ERROR 404: Fat has blocked electric signal.

[@100PercentTHCfilmsX420X]

Lmao.

[@ryanlitt8844]

😂😂😂

[@themazzie8029]

lmao

[@dbhlnn]

404 is an HTTP status code. not a general purpose IT error message

[@dbt5110]

Nnay yeah for so punters with water damage. Not signal blocking which is 404

[@justjacqueline2004]

How has he overcome the formation of fatty tissue around the implants?

[@invntiv]

Maria das Santos this is a fundamental issue

[@theplaguedoctor1862]

I installed one of his NExT RFID+NFC chip implants in my hand, and have my vehicle door set up to unlock, my garage door and I can start my motorcycle with it. I'll have more things in the future but it's pretty cool.

[@kyle5397]

What do you use to program it?

[@nevinzavell4207]

Can't wait for the uki to come out

[@TheBrunswicksfinest]

Nevin Zavell and i cant wait to steal your info via RFID

[@stanly720]

Dude is dope, as long as he stays on top of this technology industrially he will be a multi-millionaire in the next 20 years.

[@samstocker08]

Not to be stupid, but using encrypted keys and all that are implanted really makes me wonder how a guy in this line of work has never seen Johnny Pnemonic lol

[@localgamerz2961]

Well am ordering this in a minute. Can't wait!

[@gcm4312]

How can you maintain private cryptographic keys secure in an RFID tag (which is easily 'clonable')?

[@RealFightfrog]

y just shake his hand and read it out... clone it

[@paulowarren31]

look up RSA public key encryption

[@nicksmith6629]

chinese hacked rsa id

[@gcm4312]

paulowarren31 yes, I understand. Still, I imagine the private key is in the tag, right? It is used to sign the transaction. What's stopping someone from bumping into me and scanning my private key without me noticing? RFID is very unsafe AFAIK.

[@bastienpontet]

The Rfid chip only emmits the public key

[@parrishjesse]

Simply awesome the future is present.

[@tyopsie]

dope. go amal

[@eternalpeace101]

Motherboard : Lots of interesting mini documentaries, please keep them coming!

[@TheNormanmurk]

I feel like there would need to be a better reason than the convenience of not needing to carry my keys or wallet to implant this in me. I'd rather wear a digital wristband than do that. For the record I'm not against this. There just needs to be a better reason. Keep up the good work.

[@oxycontinental8936]

Norman J. Murk you can’t loose something implanted u can loose a watch

[@gunner1660]

The people who make it do make ring version

[@TheNormanmurk]

@@gunner1660 that's what I mean. A ring would be fine. Something wearable at first would seem safer until an implant was proven as safe.

[@TheNormanmurk]

@@gunner1660 Here we are 5 years later. I remember making this comment. I wonder how far along they are now.

[@TheNormanmurk]

@@oxycontinental8936 that's definitely true. I watched this 5 years ago. I don't remember if that was one of the points of an implant. Makes sense though.

[@arevolvingdoor3836]

lol, I lived on orcas island, they appear to be holding this at the YMCA there, it's awesome, it has a 500 foot long zipline.

[@Competitief]

Looks scary as hell

[@MrCRACKupTV]

Yea and if u take it u would go to hell too

[@ApeSlayer]

Good thing hell and all that jesus gospel bullshit doesn't exist! LOL. Dumb ass sheep...

[@pumpuppthevolume]

it's simple as shit... it's an nfc tag

[@Jgomez836]

+Chris W Calm the fuck down, I think he meant it like when people say "Holy shit".

[@pumpuppthevolume]

Jgomez836 nope that dude had another comment like that ....but u can never be sure if he is just joking or trolling

[@huckaf]

Getting many biohacking implants is in my bucket list :)

[@RodrigoIQ]

I want one of those

[@silentsociopath9106]

Dont do it

[@zaneanthony4126]

@@silentsociopath9106 no, he should do it they are awesome it’s just the insertion that sucks

[@NsellersUSMC]

What happens when you get an MRI with one of these in your hand? Does it rip it out of your hand at lightning fast speeds?

[@jacobbenson3620]

Nicholas Sellers no just like a bone screw or pacemaker or breast implant does not rip out of you during an MRI

[@moealferarri5663]

Wouldn't a "chip" inside of u be a problem if ur traveling through airport security?!?! Especially America's airports!!!

[@Schniels65]

Moe Al Ferarri There are people with magnets implanted and they don't have a problem with flying.

[@jacobbenson3620]

No,because you can't hide a gun or a bomb in something the size of a grain of rice.

[@zane3556]

They are too small and week to triiger an alarm

[@billyboy7694]

Moe Al Ferarri some people got metal plates in their bones and they fly no problem

[@jayholley5880]

My man Amal, s/o from the DT forum

[@iamfuckingyourwaifuandther2743]

Oh shit what's harry potter doing here.

[@pjninja9546]

Every time I see that needle stabbing into the skin, my sphincter does a somersault

[@Samsaraslug]

JESUS AND HARAMBE DIDN´T DIE FOR THIS

[@viozzy]

State of the art technology in his body but computers from over 10 years ago LOGIC

[@vimm1357]

how do u remove rfid after implant?

[@bernhardm.3118]

vim m you dont

[@blank_3768]

surgery

[@jacobbenson3620]

(For this implant)You sterilize the area of implantation then using a scalpel make an incision wide enough for the implant to fit through(about 5 millimeters wide)and use surgical tweezers to pull it out(stitching may be necessary),and yes you can remove it without needing to go to a hospital.

[@sk9c00]

Just saying tho, what’s stopping people from cloning your RFID simply by bumping into you? In China, you can easily clone your RFID key fob for only 10 RMB (less than 2 USD)...

[@imaxdigital7052]

Buying right now.

[@Screamingtut]

enjoyed the video a lot

[@karenmurphy5179]

what about immune response, to these chips.

[@semicirclefreekekistan3810]

they coat them with a material the body can dissolve

[@jacobbenson3620]

They are coated in glass or metal or some other material that the body doesn't react to.

[@is-kr2nt]

They coat it with titanium

[@user-tr2dh4xx6u]

@@jacobbenson3620 also coated in gold

[@user-vl1tb1xx2d]

SemiCircle #FreeKekistan ‘t*

[@nothing2see315]

I could never have that under my skin. Could never have piercings either. Have tattoos but the idea of sticking an object under my skin like that creeps me out

[@Colyers]

lul he put Java in himself willingly?

[@DougMcCluer]

This isn't biohacking. This is just a pocket that is really inconvenient to put things in / take things out of.

[@thisisobvious]

MARK OF THE BEAST?!!!?!? (lol)

[@zonk1913]

Mark of bullshit XD

[@luismartinez-ut7ww]

Lol I like how he has a vacuum oven and press in the back

[@RD-wn9iw]

It is to much just to open a door!

[@thesaltybeard1793]

Two arm fulls of groceries in the face of a door that closes on it's own under it's own weight is a horrific thing. Being able to scan something you never lose is quite valuable to avoid putting down groceries, propping the door open, etc. Is it too much to just walk to the store? Since you likely drive there.

[@thesaltybeard1793]

@Pee In My Mouth, Mommy that could work, but you're discounting the benefits of having something with you that is difficult to steal, and even harder to misplace or forget to put on.

[@ness8376]

Unlock

[@causticfun]

very interesting look forward to seeing how this grows

[@schlaznger8049]

Nope Nope Nope, did you see the size of that needle?

[@jacobbenson3620]

Usually they give you an injection of lidocaine beforehand to stop pain

[@FennessyHouse]

I couldn't stop thinking about how poorly those Tupperware containers were secured to your car, pretty cool gadget though.

[@Cpt_Exploit]

Triggerd religious people incoming

[@ApeSlayer]

Bunch of fuckin blind sheep. How sad...

[@Cpt_Exploit]

Not against religion just find it very restricting in life.

[@pumpuppthevolume]

+〈|ΣχpŁσit|〉[可爱] not against grown ass people truelly believing in Harry Potter...... hmm interesting

[@acree3739]

+JamboyStu Nah man. As a religious guy myself I would say I dont give a shit what you do or think.

[@jasonspeir2949]

religion or not, NWO is real.

[@invntiv]

There HAS to be people willing to invest in this. Seriously shocked he is still in a garage

[@jmac2050]

my phone does all that, this guy wants to different, in a bad way

[@TommWayfarer]

What if the central Bank controls what chips can play and who can have one. What if suddenly you piss someone in the high government and you are banned from the central base.?

[@mfp5431]

Love it, where Is my cyberpunk community at??

[@jozhfy]

this dude alone has invented more than apple

[@PiOfficial]

itsJozh He hasn't invented anything??

[@CancunMimosa]

itsJozh you’ve definitely won the worst trolling award for 2017

[@ganjaisganja]

defo intrested but wondering if x rays or mri scans would cause any problems!

[@zebruhfpv8184]

WTF, wrong in so many ways

[@kieranishector]

Now I kinda want one of those keys

[@dumbshow3]

I hope he stays in his garage

[@asapnickybars4693]

I hope a T1000 jumps out with a pump action shotgun and smokes this dude.

[@angelthemage2972]

Oh hi there! Why do you assume this guy is bad? Just because he made an rfid chip that literally does nothing unless there’s a transmitter a few centimeters away?

[@steps2psychosis]

Because technology is scary to the simple minded

[@DoomVik]

Have 2 in both my hands. Works as intended. Don't feel it

[@bikelambo123]

this is a sign that the end is near.

[@johanabrahamsen8129]

Jep, This is what John wrote about :/

[@utubeok]

How the fuck do you guys figure that?

[@alphaokami448]

That same quote has been echoed throughout history and never comes true yes the earth will die and yes more than likely at some point the human race will die but there is no logical way to know when or how. And no a book sure as hell does not predict the future never has never will.

[@bikelambo123]

+Andr01d3 reported for cursing.

[@jessstuart7495]

I believe Not Cool Bro is referring to the Book of Relevation.

[@Aeraleach]

"i didn't want a key" you could do that with a fingerprint scanner today lol

[@reuploadify]

biometric security is way way less secure than RFID tech

[@ryanwilson8659]

Not really a fan of this kind of shit.

[@lllHABITATlll]

Why do i feel like this is gonna go really wrong soon

[@catnium]

in my country we been using RFID chips for almost 10 years now on milk cows, sheep and other cattle. in their ears. ask yourself are you cattle or are you men ?

[@blank_3768]

Catnium people use baths for dogs are you a dog or a man. Your argument is retarded

[@jacobbenson3620]

We're less cattle than some of the religious people in the comment section talking about all this "mark of the beast" bullshit.

[@thesaltybeard1793]

Wow I wonder what those RFID Chips are for...identification? Weird. Not like we all have something like that on us today...Oh yeah! ID. Credit card, bank account, your ip address, the phone you hold, your facebook account, etc. Guess we already are.

[@invntiv]

I AM MEN

[@darkstarshellby3435]

Do you do something to others that you wouldnt do to yourself

[@user-og6ol2im7v]

Could an external device learn that there is am RFID device located in your body? Could that knowledge be used to track a person?

[@sinnlos229]

Farine i know I'm a bit late, but maybe this still interests you. I'm not sure about the first part, but I doubt it's possible for the same reason the second part is unlikely. NFC chips only have a range of a few centimeters, so maybe someone would be able to detect your chip, but from that distance they could propably just use a metal detector and check the common implant spots. Because of the short range, for someone to track you, they would basically have to go on a walk with you, always staying in the range of a few centimeters from your hands and that kinda defeats the purpose of tracking someone

[@sirkane5727]

Have fun having your exact location given away to every company, government and your dad. What is privacy?

[@jacobbenson3620]

Sir Kane these implants can only send and receive data from a few centimeters at most.

[@robbzooi]

throw away your phone, online presence and your pc in general, right now! I have some very bad news for you if you think this chip is the worst thing;)

[@nagyba]

It is, because as a lawyer I know when to leave my phone and everything at "home". Well with this shit... You cant leave your arm at home :D

[@nagyba]

One more fingerprint that can be read from a few feet away...

[@Huskie]

B Nagy few cm*

[@r3dp1ll]

will never take off. wrong approach. you could just use biometry or simply have the crypto keys on your phone

[@MikeTrieu]

Anything attached to your phone is inherently insecure because you can never audit all the components. You're essentially trusting a black box that does not necessarily align with your intentions.

[@WhoIsAmaze]

+Mike Trieu (MegasChara) no ones out to get you

[@MikeTrieu]

WhoIsAmaze Likely not "you" personally, but "you" in the aggregate are highly valuable commodities in the criminal underground. That's why massive breaches of large cybersystems are on the rise. The payoff is much greater, unless you're targeting a "whale" who you can pivot from to gain greater access to an organization.

[@erickflores8288]

Its the mark of the beast

[@danielcuevas5899]

Erick Flores Is that from lord of the rings ?

[@jacobbenson3620]

Erick Flores And your the mark of stupidity.

[@Keepskatin]

@Yami Rose Suicide is rate is extremely high amongst Caucasians.Erick Flores does not look Caucasian to me,but you probably are.

[@8ahda388]

Hail Satan bringer of knowledge and truth

[@AChaser00]

I think people are missing the point of it being under the skin. Say I wear a wrist band, what stops me from taking it off and forgetting it, or it being lost, and someone being able to steal all my information? With it being under the skin, you never have to fear about losing it because it's physically impossible to forget it or drop it or lose it.

[@flako9571]

Mark of the beast will be similar to this.

[@johanabrahamsen8129]

I agree

[@GPT-X938]

Is that from Pokemon or Digimon?

[@bitchslapthesun]

Rob A DEAD

[@NextGenAge]

If someone steals your Digital Signature by intercepting it they can sign everything on your behalf. This can be a problem in the future. Best solution would be to have a non-fixed key, they you update once in a while and authenticate somewhere with for example biomedical data, Iris scan, fingerprint ect.

[@WilliamSchlott]

So how long before the New World Order makes me have one.

[@jamarcus69]

youre a wizard, harry

[@drewpitbull]

Revelation 13:16

[@jamesturner8311]

drewpitbull so fucking what?

[@joshuathomas6991]

Nice

[@Keepskatin]

White Greed, White Imperialism, White Mark of the Beast.

[@ycoihmn6388]

A legend says motherboard would answer if youre early.

[@MariaMartinez-qj7wc]

Fuck that legend

[@AndrewWalsh43]

Still a long way to go for this technology, but it looks good. How easy would it be to change the keys if your key got stolen with something like ukey. The recovery key still has to be stored somewhere secure.

[@FutureAIDev2015]

Those needles are huge! 😱

[@randomvintagefilm273]

I'm very happy being human, nobody is going to implant me with anything. That is when other people will control you.

[@alistairkinnear8737]

Your arm has now become much more valuable. Besides, everything you interface is becoming hooked to the internet.

[@123cache123]

great idea! keep you secret keys in your hand where any hidden radio can just pick it up. If anything that's much less secure.

[@rabbitdrink]

by the way i hope you dont rely on that modified ps90 for self defense, those kinds of modifications are always vulnerable to rfid jamming which a criminal robbing you could easily do from a distance

[@ketone-iq]

Amal Graafstra appeared on our THINKING Podcast and goes more in-depth about his implants and philosophies...check it out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWPNZWWdqq2KrKM

[@adammtroutman]

Practicality will have to skyrocket.

[@pikclez8751]

How would someone go about to get this done? Sounds really interesting!

[@thecivilanarchist6289]

allot of hacking events usually have a bio hacking section get them to programme and implant one there or buy a kit preprogrammed online and implant it yourself

[@MacIraq]

buy it on their website and do it yourself. Google dangerous things

[@pikclez8751]

+The Reich-tous Shepherd right, thanks!

[@Stoepart]

How about long distance scanning? How about faults in cryptography or lack of updating for security purposes? How about asking some crytical questions for once instead of only letting the guy do his thing. Its both important.

[@ZungleIF]

This is kinda scary bc people will rip off your arm if they are desperate to know the decryption key

[@jerkoff6666969]

Its quite easy to fry all these implants with rf and potentially harm whomever has the implant. These tags face the same issue as external rfid chips and most people I assume would prefer a card pen bracelet or ring which offers the same functionality. Their only angle is the novelty of the whole concept. To each their own.

[@bionerd1543]

I think these emerging technologies are very very promising. I hope the government will allow it free range long enough to recognize the potential : ]

[@bitchslapthesun]

How do people even learn to do shit like this? I want in.

[@amiti]

love this channel so much !

[@spacemonkey5470]

using the word "hacker" in every sentence doesn't mean you or anyone at your conference is an actual hacker

[@hoven025]

this seems much more safe than other implants which are commonly accepted in US... I will have to try it out I guess

[@91722854]

would it ever be possible to implant a bionic chip that is made out of organic compounds yet not entirely emerged with meat and skin so it wouldn't be as scary/ uncomfortable as it is now? (not that i have ever had one, just had that feeling from the look of it)

[@peerfunk]

i am not scared of putting something under my skin, but I do not want something under my skin that someone could possibly be able to read without me knowing, even if it is nothing important a simple id number is even too much.

[@sinnlos229]

If that's your issue, delete all your online accounts and burn everything that has access to the internet. A chip with a range of a few centimeters is your smallest problem, trust me buddy

[@vinylmodsmanitoba]

the problem with current RFID chips is they are exploitable, anyone can copy a key, and all it takes to get YOUR key is to hack what you use it with, and with more and more embedded devices coming to the market. Its not something that needs to be addressed first, keeping all these new IoT devices secure is the main concern. Now do I believe that humans will never augment themselves? no that's stupid, our advances in technology are astounding! And things like this are needed to raise awareness, but implementing the tech by current standards has flaws that might require replacement of these chips further down the line, and if you think people are squeamish about them now, wait until they have to think about having one removed every 10 years or so as tech advances.

[@SK3PTIKDARKREBEL]

Dude your works are amazing i hope someday this pays off with positive thinking i see this as a historical event lets face it Mankind has always been made to evolve i call this the Tech age keep at it GODSPEED!.

[@frost1358]

Wait what about the metal detectors

[@chitwnhood]

dude got a tight ass fade though... 🤘

[@isterily360]

really good job with vid,very professional

[@swirff]

Not like fingerprint technology can do all of this

[@swirff]

Also, cant the chips be cloned when scanned, just like they clone credit cards

[@floridaarmyvet3613]

And Darpa is 20 years ahead of this!