Cybersecurity has not been much of a problem with robots. But unfortunately, this will not likely be the case for long. The main reason is that it is becoming much more common for robots to be connected to the cloud. The same goes for other systems, such as the Internet of Things or IoT, and autonomous cars. For example, many of these systems are updated wirelessly, which exposes them to malware, viruses, and even ransoms. Furthermore, when it comes to electric vehicles, there is also a vulnerability to attacks from the charging network.
In fact, your data could linger within a vehicle! So if it is wrecked or you sell it, the information—say video, navigation details, and contacts from paired smartphone connections—may become available to other people. A white hat hacker, called GreenTheOnly, has been able to extract this data from a variety of Tesla models at junkyards, according to CNBC.com.29 But it’s important to note that the company does provide options to wipe the data and you can opt out of data collection (but this means not having certain advantages, like over-the-air (OTA) updates).
Now if there is a cybersecurity breach with a robot, the implications can certainly be devastating. Just imagine if a hacker infiltrated a manufacturing line or a supply chain or even a robotic surgery system. Lives could be in jeopardy.
Regardless, there has not been much investment in cybersecurity for robots. So far, there are just a handful of companies, like Karamba Security and Cybereason, that are focused on this. But as the problems get worse, there will inevitably be a ramping of investments from VCs and new initiatives from legacy cybersecurity firms.
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