As of 2017, it is estimated that there are 1.3 million robots in factories around the world. Therefore, there are 1.3 million robots open to attack.
Automation and robots serving in various business lines are rapidly taking over the economy. Although at a relatively slow pace for now, it seems that the dismissal of employees belonging to some business lines around the world will continue to accelerate in the near future. Factories where smartphones, cars and airplanes are produced are directly dependent on technological robots.
Humans can't match the speed, strength and stamina of a robot, but they can beat it in cybersecurity.
As a result of tests conducted by Trend Micro and Politecnico di Milano cybersecurity companies, the vulnerabilities of factory robots were identified. It has been determined that some systems use simple and easy to crack username and password combinations, while some systems do not use passwords at all. During the tests and examinations, ABB, Fanuc, Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Yaskawa robots were under the microscope.
According to the research report, industrial machinery has failed in terms of cybersecurity. Weak security protections and the use of outdated software are the biggest factors.
Machine operators and programmers can manage machines remotely and send commands to robots using their computers or phones. In cases where the connection is insecure, attackers can manipulate machines with malicious commands and cause production errors.
The researchers were able to exploit the ABB branded robot, whose task was to draw a straight line, using reverse engineering methods. While even millimeter errors are unacceptable in industrial machinery, especially in electronics manufacturing, the researchers suggested that automations and robots in factories use industrial cybersecurity standards.
