In a paper published by University of South Australia and Charles Sturt University, professors have developed an algorithm to detect and intercept man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks on unmanned military robots that aim to interrupt the operation, modify the transmitted instructions, and assume control and instruct the robots to take malicious actions.
The technical paper detailed how the robot operating system is extremely susceptible to data breaches and electronic hijacking because it is so highly networked, and can be compromised at various levels, from the core system to sub-components of sub-systems. Meanwhile, crewless vehicle systems operate under fault-tolerant modes further complicating MitM detection.
Using machine learning techniques, University researchers developed the algorithm to detect these attempts. Furthermore, the professors tested the algorithm in a replica of a bot used by the U.S. Army and recorded successful attack prevention 99% of the time, with false positives occurring in less than 2% of the tested cases.
“The advent of Industry 4, marked by the evolution in robotics, automation, and the Internet of Things, has demanded that robots work collaboratively, where sensors, actuators, and controllers need to communicate and exchange information with one another via cloud services,” comments Professor Anthony Finn, who participated in the study.
Ted Miracco, CEO, Approov Mobile Security had this comment:
“Using AI to address security concerns in military robots raises significant concerns and warrants critical examination. While the development of an algorithm to detect and intercept man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks is a commendable effort, relying on AI for such critical tasks may not be the most responsible approach. A 99% success rate in preventing attacks may initially sound impressive, but when it comes to matters of national security and potential harm caused by compromised military robots, even a 1% failure rate is unacceptable if you are on the receiving end of the attack. MitM attacks can have severe consequences, including the potential for loss of life and significant damage and AI algorithms are probabilistic by nature, making them inherently fallible. There is always a risk of false positives or the much more disconcerting false negatives, where attacks go undetected. In the context of military operations, these errors can lead to disastrous outcomes.
“To ensure the security and integrity of military robots, deterministic solutions that provide 100% accuracy should be prioritized. While AI can play a role in augmenting security measures, it should be used as a supportive tool rather than the primary line of defense. Incorporating reliable, deterministic protocols and encryption techniques that leave no room for ambiguity or uncertainty should be the foundation of any security framework for military robots. It is imperative to prioritize deterministic solutions that eliminate any margin for error and take a comprehensive approach to security to ensure the safety and effectiveness of unmanned military systems.”
Given that these are military vehicles, I have to admit that I have concerns that they might not be secure. If they aren’t, I hope there are means in place to make them as secure as possible. As in every possible way should be taken to ensure that these military vehicles are as secure as possible.
ESET Research announces comprehensive report on Latin America’s threat landscape titled ‘Looking into TUT’s tomb: The universe of threats in LATAM’
Posted in Commentary with tags ESET on October 17, 2023 by itnerdESET Research announced today the release of the report “Looking into TUT’s tomb: The universe of threats in LATAM,” which analyzes more than a dozen operations and various cybercriminal campaigns in Latin America. With evolving targeting strategies and techniques, these campaigns exhibit a high level of sophistication, specifically tailoring their approaches to exploit enterprise users, including government sectors. The predominant method of compromising victims is through phishing emails that deliver multiple malicious components.
In the paper, ESET Research looks back at various publicly documented campaigns targeting the LATAM region between 2019 and 2023; the vast majority of the detections surrounding these cybercriminal activities are in Latin America and are not associated with global crimeware. Since each of these operations has its own unique traits, and they don’t appear to be linked to a single threat actor, it’s highly likely that multiple actors are at play.
ESET analysis revealed a notable shift from simplistic, opportunistic crimeware to more complex threats. Notably, researchers have observed a transition in targeting, moving from a focus on the general public to high-profile users, including businesses and governmental entities. These threat actors continually update their tools, introducing different evasion techniques to increase the success of their campaigns. Furthermore, while the LATAM region contains the vast majority of victims, in some cases we have seen an expansion of these campaigns targeting countries outside the region, with the actors taking their crimeware business beyond Latin America and mirroring the pattern seen in banking trojans born in Brazil.
The precision and specificity observed in these attacks point to a high level of targeting, indicating that the threat actors have detailed knowledge about their intended victims. In these campaigns, attackers utilize malicious components like downloaders and droppers, mostly created in PowerShell and VBS. Regarding the tools used in these malicious operations in Latin America, ESET observations indicate a preference for remote access trojans.
For more technical information about “Operation King TUT: The universe of threats in LATAM,” read the blog post on WeLiveSecurity.
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