3D Printing Gives Hackers Entirely New Ways to Wreak Havoc

Future growth in the 3D printing sector hinges on open platforms, rather than proprietary systems. But this comes with increased security risks for 3D-printed items. Once introduced into an open environment, a virus can spread faster through multiple parties and flows of information than in a closed system. Hackers can and do already cause significant digital damage in the form of computer crashes, data loss, the shutdown of websites and servers, and the interruption of important services, among other things. With 3D printing, however, the cyber threat moves into the physical world.