Cyber Security for Marine Robotics
Marine robotics, automation and unmanned technology is quietly bursting throughout the seas, expanding to every field of operation. Though marine robotics has been around long before their aerial drones cousins, new and exciting technology is pushing the platforms towards more and more autonomy on one hand and full scale global connectivity on the other. There is also a clear trend towards joint air-sea (and land) operations. Not only that marine technology relies more and more on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and open-source hardware and software components, many of the platforms are becoming more COTS and less proprietary themselves. Just like in other technology domains, this standardization has great business and operational advantages, however it is also subject to technological risks such as cyber attacks. Cyber attacks have evolved from anecdotal annoyance to global threats, considered a major risk to businesses, operations and even national security. A cyber attack can shut down marine operations, critical systems, cause signigicant business damage and even jeopardize missions and lives. The lecture will discuss the nature of cyber threats and risks to marine installations and marine robotic systems, the special technological and operational constraints, and possible applications of practical solutions under such limitations.