Read the following passage about When Biology Meets Digital Vulnerability and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate...

Read the following passage about When Biology Meets Digital Vulnerability and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 23 to 30.

Recent research has unveiled an unprecedented cybersecurity threat emerging from genetic material. Scientists demonstrated that maliciously engineered deoxyribonucleic acid sequences can serve as sophisticated attack vectors against computational systems. This groundbreaking discovery challenges traditional security paradigms by exploiting the intersection between biological specimens and digital processing infrastructure. The vulnerability arises not from inherent molecular properties but from computational transformation during modern sequencing procedures, where organic matter becomes susceptible data requiring software interpretation and analysis.

The attack mechanism operates through meticulously crafted buffer-overflow exploitation targeting bioinformatics analysis tools. Researchers successfully designed genetic sequences that, when processed by sequencing equipment and converted into FASTQ file formats, trigger malicious code execution within downstream analytical software. This ingenious approach allows arbitrary commands to infiltrate host computer systems. The methodology represents a novel fusion of biological engineering and traditional hacking techniques, demonstrating how seemingly innocuous scientific samples can harbor dangerous digital payloads capable of penetrating secure environments.

However, significant constraints limit practical implementation. The malicious payload must simultaneously satisfy stringent biological requirements, including sequence length restrictions, avoidance of problematic repetitive elements, and maintenance of reliable base-reading compatibility. Additionally, the laboratory demonstration exhibited inconsistent success rates and required researchers to deliberately introduce specific vulnerabilities into open-source programs rather than exploiting naturally occurring flaws. These limitations substantially reduce immediate real-world applicability, though they do not diminish theoretical significance or potential future refinement possibilities.

The implications extend beyond this proof-of-concept, highlighting emerging challenges within the rapidly expanding bioinformatics sector. As sequencing becomes increasingly ubiquitous and genetic data processing shifts toward automated pipelines and third-party cloud services, the attack surface continues expanding. This development necessitates enhanced security protocols, rigorous code auditing practices, and comprehensive vulnerability assessments within software development. The research serves as a crucial warning about evolving cybersecurity threats in our interconnected digital-biological landscape.

https://www.wired.com/am

Question 23: Which constraint was NOT mentioned?

A. Encryption requirements

B. Sequence length restrictions

C. Avoidance of problematic repetitive elements

D. Maintenance of reliable base-reading compatibility

Question 24: The word “susceptible” in paragraph 1 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _________.

A. vulnerable                                B. resilient                                        C. coherent                                        D. impervious

Question 25: The word “infiltrate” in paragraph 2 could be best replaced by _________.

A. compromise                                B. circumvent                                C. penetrate                                        D. exploit

Question 26: The word “they” in paragraph 3 refers to _________.

A. Theoretical significance and future refinement possibilities

B. The constraints limiting practical implementation

C. The researchers conducting the laboratory demonstration

D. The open-source programs with introduced vulnerabilities

Question 27: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A. Growing sequencing prevalence and migration to automated systems and cloud platforms increase potential security vulnerability points.

B. Growing sequencing prevalence and migration to automated systems and cloud platforms concentrate potential security vulnerability points.

C. Declining sequencing prevalence and migration to automated systems and cloud platforms reduce potential security vulnerability points.

D. Controlled sequencing prevalence and migration to automated systems and cloud platforms stabilize potential security vulnerability points.

Question 28: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Malicious DNA exploits molecular properties to attack computational systems.

B. Attack method showed consistent success against natural software vulnerabilities.

C. Implementation faces minimal constraints from biological and digital requirements.

D. Researchers deliberately introduced vulnerabilities into open-source programs for testing.

Question 29: In which paragraph does the writer mention what file format is mentioned in the attack process?

A. Paragraph 3                                B. Paragraph 1                                C. Paragraph 2                                D. Paragraph 4

Question 30: Which paragraph does the writer suggest is necessary for bioinformatics software development?

A. Paragraph 1                                B. Paragraph 3                                C. Paragraph 4                                D. Paragraph 2