Hey, hackers: The Georgia Institute of Technology wants you to know that your attempts at industrial espionage will not be taken lying down. You just might not realize you’re being attacked back when lulled into a false sense of security by the adorable, shoebox-sized HoneyBot.
Researchers have designed a way for industrial companies to prevent their robots from being overtaken by cyber threats. Recent advancements in automation within the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) mean more and more robots are at-risk, with the possibility of hackers taking control of a product or manufacturing process, resulting in damage or – even worse – trying to harm nearby humans.
But researchers have created a robot that can actually detect a cyber breach and alert its owners of the attack – all the while giving hackers the impression that they’re still in control. But instead of giving up information, the HoneyBot works using classic “honeypot” technology to lure-in attackers and capture information about them, including their methods and even who and where they are.
While the product is still being tested, researchers suggest its capabilities will become more and more important as devices that were never meant to operate on the internet are being deployed factory-wide. Raheem Beyah, professor and interim chair in Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, told the research news archive Futurity that the biggest risk is not necessarily for assembly line robots, but rather cobots that operate freely on a factory floor and have the size and weight behind them to do significant damage. The researchers go on to say that much industrial hacking is carried out relatively anonymously, so the opportunity to identify malicious actors could serve as a way to pin responsibility on those who wish harm on an industrial operation.
Reference Links:
- https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/29/honeybot-lures-hackers-protect-fellow-robots/
- https://www.futurity.org/honeybot-hackers-factories-security-1718472-2/