The Security Weak Link of Industrial Robots
Hacking has been in the news a lot lately, so a new study by global security software company Trend Micro and Polytechnic University of Milan, the largest technical university in Italy seems especially timely. The study looked at Internet security vulnerabilities that could involve industrial robots used on manufacturing lines in areas such as the automobile and aerospace industries. As these machines are increasingly connected to the internet they are also increasingly vulnerable to online hackers.
Malicious hackers could get into a robot’s controller system and make adjustments to its actions, which could create a dangerous situation in the factory or could enable the robots to build unsafe products on the production line.
Hackers also could gain access to the programming used to make the company’s products, or they could use the robot as a jumping off point to hack into other enterprise systems. Companies could fall victim to ransomware or sabotage.
