Security News

US Air Force deploys robot security dogs to guard base
2020-11-23 12:30

Over the past year the 325th Security Forces Squadron have been trialing the security robots via a so-called "3D Virtual Ops Center," where the hardware hounds patrol the grounds and feed back data to central command. "These robot dogs will be used as a force multiplier for enhanced situational awareness by patrolling areas that aren't desirable for human beings and vehicles," said Major Jordan Criss, 325th Security Forces Squadron commander.

Robot Vacuums Suck Up Sensitive Audio in ‘LidarPhone’ Hack
2020-11-19 22:03

Researchers have uncovered a new attack that lets bad actors snoop in on homeowners' private conversations - through their robot vacuums. The attack, called "LidarPhone" by researchers, in particular targets vacuums with LiDAR sensors, as the name suggests.

Friday Squid Blogging: Underwater Robot Uses Squid-Like Propulsion
2020-11-13 22:09

By generating powerful streams of water, UCSD's squid-like robot can swim untethered. The "Squidbot" carries its own power source, and has the room to hold more, including a sensor or camera for underwater exploration.

Legacy Programming Languages Pose Serious Risks to Industrial Robots
2020-08-04 12:40

Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Milan and cybersecurity firm Trend Micro have analyzed some of the most popular industrial programming languages and showed how they can open the door to attacks against robots and other programmable manufacturing machines. The researchers analyzed programming languages from ABB, Comau, Denso, Fanuc, Kawasaki, Kuka, Mitsubishi, and Universal Robots, which can be used to create custom applications that enable industrial robots to carry out complex automation routines.

Ironpie robot vacuum can suck up your privacy
2020-03-02 12:37

According to its maker, Trifo, the Ironpie home surveillance robot vacuum isn't just your dust bunnies' worst nightmare. It's true, the artificial intelligence -enhanced internet of things robot vacuum can indeed be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi, can be controlled remotely for vacuuming, and can remotely stream out video showing its surroundings, given that - like other IoT gadgets - it comes equipped with a video camera.

Art Imitates Life: Lessons from the Final Season of Mr. Robot
2019-11-08 18:31

Unlike Elliot, real-world adversaries don’t have lofty ideals nor do they suffer crises of conscience.

Friday Squid Blogging: Researchers Investigating Using Squid Propulsion for Underwater Robots
2019-10-25 21:04

Interesting article and paper. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven't covered. Read my blog posting guidelines here....

News Wrap: Hotel Robot Hacks, FTC Stalkerware Crackdown
2019-10-25 15:52

From hacking hotel room robots to crackdowns on stalkerware apps, Threatpost editors break down this week's top news stories.

Robot Hotel says sorry about the buggy bedside bots
2019-10-24 14:39

Japan's Henn na Hotel says it's "modified" the bots so pervs can't exploit the ability to run unsigned code and spy on future guests.

Bedside Hotel Robot Hacked to Stream In-Room Video
2019-10-23 19:18

An unsecured NFC tag opens a door to trivial exploitation of robots inside Japanese hotels.