An official website of the United States government
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are envisioned to enhance safety and efficiency on the road, increase productivity, and positively impact the urban transportation system. Due to recent developments in autonomous driving (AD) technology, AVs have started moving on the road. However, this promising technology has many unique security challenges that have the potential to cause traffic accidents. Though some researchers have exploited and addressed specific security issues in AD, there is a lack of a systematic approach to designing security solutions using a comprehensive threat model. A threat model analyzes and identifies potential threats and vulnerabilities. It also identifies the attacker model and proposes mitigation strategies based on known security solutions. As an emerging cyber-physical system, the AD system requires a well-designed threat model to understand the security threats and design solutions. This paper explores security issues in the AD system and analyzes the threat model using the STRIDE threat modeling process. We posit that our threat model-based analysis will help improve AVs' security and guide researchers toward developing secure AVs.
more »
« less
A Systematic Review of Sensor Vulnerabilities and Cyber‐Physical Threats in Industrial Robotic Systems
ABSTRACT Industrial robotic systems in the era of Industry 4.0 play a pivotal role in modern manufacturing. These systems, which belong to the larger class of cyber‐physical systems (CPSs), rely heavily on advanced sensing capabilities to execute complex and delicate tasks with high precision and efficiency. It is of no surprise that the integration of sensors with Industry 4.0 robotic systems exposes them to potential cyber‐physical risks/threats. This paper addresses a critical gap in the literature of industrial robotics cybersecurity by presenting a comprehensive analysis of vulnerabilities in the sensing systems of industrial robots. In particular, we systematically explore how sensor performance limits, faults and biases can be exploited by attackers who can then turn these inherent weaknesses into security threats. Our investigation relies on a detailed literature review of a multitude of commonly used sensors in industrial robotic systems through the lens of their physics‐based operating principles, classifications, performance limits, potential faults and associated vulnerabilities against disturbances such as temperature fluctuations, electromagnetic and acoustic interference, and ambient light variations. The result of this systematic investigation is a ring chart illustrating the overlaps and entanglements of sensor faults and performance limits, which can be exploited by cyber‐physical adversaries. Additionally, we investigate the cascading effects of compromised sensor data on the operation of industrial robotic systems through a cause‐and‐effect analysis, where the sensor vulnerabilities can cause malfunction and lead to cyber‐physical damage. The result of this analysis is a sensor cyber‐physical threat cause‐and‐effect diagram, which can be employed for design of robust and effective cyber‐physical defence measures. By providing insights into sensor‐related cyber‐risks, our cyber‐physical threat analysis paves the path for enhanced industrial robotics security.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10644442
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1049
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- IET Cyber-Physical Systems: Theory & Applications
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2398-3396
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Zero-day vulnerabilities pose a significant challenge to robot cyber-physical systems (CPS). Attackers can exploit software vulnerabilities in widely-used robotics software, such as the Robot Operating System (ROS), to manipulate robot behavior, compromising both safety and operational effectiveness. The hidden nature of these vulnerabilities requires strong defense mechanisms to guarantee the safety and dependability of robotic systems. In this paper, we introduce ROBOCOP, a cyber-physical attack detection framework designed to protect robots from zero-day threats. ROBOCOP leverages static software features in the pre-execution analysis along with runtime state monitoring to identify attack patterns and deviations that signal attacks, thus ensuring the robot’s operational integrity. We evaluated ROBOCOP on the F1-tenth autonomous car platform. It achieves a 93% detection accuracy against a variety of zero-day attacks targeting sensors, actuators, and controller logic. Importantly, in on-robot deployments, it identifies attacks in less than 7 seconds with a 12% computational overhead.more » « less
-
Abstract The rise in smart water technologies has introduced new cybersecurity vulnerabilities for water infrastructures. However, the implications of cyber‐physical attacks on the systems like urban drainage systems remain underexplored. This research delves into this gap, introducing a method to quantify flood risks in the face of cyber‐physical threats. We apply this approach to a smart stormwater system—a real‐time controlled network of pond‐conduit configurations, fitted with water level detectors and gate regulators. Our focus is on a specific cyber‐physical threat: false data injection (FDI). In FDI attacks, adversaries introduce deceptive data that mimics legitimate system noises, evading detection. Our risk assessment incorporates factors like sensor noises and weather prediction uncertainties. Findings reveal that FDIs can amplify flood risks by feeding the control system false data, leading to erroneous outflow directives. Notably, FDI attacks can reshape flood risk dynamics across different storm intensities, accentuating flood risks during less severe but more frequent storms. This study offers valuable insights for strategizing investments in smart stormwater systems, keeping cyber‐physical threats in perspective. Furthermore, our risk quantification method can be extended to other water system networks, such as irrigation channels and multi‐reservoir systems, aiding in cyber‐defense planning.more » « less
-
The Battery Management System (BMS) plays a crucial role in modern energy storage technologies, ensuring battery safety, performance, and longevity. However, as the BMS becomes more sophisticated and interconnected, it faces increasing cybersecurity challenges that can lead to catastrophic failures and safety hazards. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of cyberattacks targeting both traditional and wireless BMS. It explores various attack vectors, including malware injection, electromagnetic interference (EMI), temperature sensing manipulation, sensor malfunctioning and fault injection, and jamming attacks on modern BMS. Through threat modeling and vulnerability analysis, this paper examines the potential impacts on BMS functionality, safety, and performance. We highlight vulnerabilities associated with different BMS architectures and components, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect against emerging threats. Cybersecurity measures are essential to protect the system from potential threats that could trigger false alarms, cause malfunctions, or lead to dangerous failures. Unauthorized access or tampering with the BMS can disrupt its fault response mechanisms, jeopardizing system performance and associated resources. Key cybersecurity strategies include intrusion detection systems (IDS), crypto-based authentication, secure firmware updates, and hardware-based security mechanisms such as trusted platform modules (TPMs). These measures strengthen BMS resilience by preventing unauthorized access and ensuring data integrity. Our findings are essential for mitigating risks in various sectors, including electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy, and grid storage. They underscore the importance of ongoing research and development of adaptive security strategies to safeguard BMS against evolving cyber threats. Additionally, we propose a trust mechanism that secures the connection between input sensors and the BMS, ensuring the reliability and safety of battery-powered systems across various industries.more » « less
-
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have various applications in different settings, including e.g., surveillance, packet delivery, emergency response, data collection in the Internet of Things (IoT), and connectivity in cellular networks. However, this technology comes with many risks and challenges such as vulnerabilities to malicious cyber-physical attacks. This paper studies the problem of path planning for UAVs under GPS sensor permanent faults in a cyber-physical system (CPS) perspective. Based on studying and analyzing the CPS architecture of the UAV, the cyber “attacks and threats” are differentiated from attacks on sensors and communication components. An efficient way to address this problem is to introduce a novel approach for UAV’s path planning resilience to GPS permanent faults artificial potential field algorithm (RCA-APF). The proposed algorithm completes the three stages in a coordinated manner. In the first stage, the permanent faults on the GPS sensor of the UAV are detected, and the UAV starts to divert from its initial path planning. In the second stage, we estimated the location of the UAV under GPS permanent fault using Received Signal Strength (RSS) trilateration localization approach. In the final stage of the algorithm, we implemented the path planning of the UAV using an open-source UAV simulator. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate the performance of the algorithm and its effectiveness, resulting in efficient path planning for the UAV.more » « less
