A Systematic Review on Social Robots in Public Spaces: Threat Landscape and Attack Surface

Abstract

There is a growing interest in using social robots in public spaces for indoor and outdoor applications. The threat landscape is an important research area being investigated and debated by various stakeholders. Objectives: This study aims to identify and synthesize empirical research on the complete threat landscape of social robots in public spaces. Specifically, this paper identifies the potential threat actors, their motives for attacks, vulnerabilities, attack vectors, potential impacts of attacks, possible attack scenarios, and mitigations to these threats. Methods: This systematic literature review follows the guidelines by Kitchenham and Charters. The search was conducted in five digital databases, and 1469 studies were retrieved. This study analyzed 21 studies that satisfied the selection criteria. Results: Main findings reveal four threat categories: cybersecurity, social, physical, and public space. Conclusion: This study completely grasped the complexity of the transdisciplinary problem of social robot security and privacy while accommodating the diversity of stakeholders’ perspectives. Findings give researchers and other stakeholders a comprehensive view by highlighting current developments and new research directions in this field. This study also proposed a taxonomy for threat actors and the threat landscape of social robots in public spaces.

Security Considerations in AI-Robotics: A Survey of Current Methods, Challenges, and Opportunities

“…For example, tampering, destruction, removal, theft, or manipulation of embedded sensors disrupt the perception of robotic systems. Humanoid and social robots that interact with human counterparts are susceptible to these attacks, as evidenced by the authors in [70]. On the other hand, hardwarelevel trojans presented in [71] can manipulate physical components such as integrated circuits and cause robotic systems to malfunction abruptly.…”

Continuous improvement in information security: A review of lessons from superannuation cybersecurity uplift programs

“…Exploring the threat landscape specific to superannuation unveils a spectrum of risks, ranging from external threats by cybercriminals and nation-state actors to internal risks posed by employee misconduct and unintentional insider threats (Oruma et al, 2022). The post discusses the evolving vectors of attacks, including the rise of ransomware and supply chain vulnerabilities.…”

Security Aspects of Social Robots in Public Spaces: A Systematic Mapping Study

“…Security aspect data encapsulated reported security aspects and principles. A detailed data extraction form is provided in Appendix A, and all extracted data are available in our Supplemental Materials [25].…”

“…The world has witnessed a significant surge in deploying social robots in public spaces (SRPS) in recent years [1]. These SRPS are designed to collaborate with humans and have found applications across diverse environments, including retail [2], healthcare [3], education [4], and public services [5]. As SRPS function autonomously in environments characterised by frequent and complex human interaction, security issues surrounding their deployment are becoming increasingly critical.…”

“…Numerous studies have underscored the importance of safety, security, privacy, and ethical considerations in SRPS [11,12]. While some have delved into the threat landscape and attack vectors [5,8], others concentrated on robotic cybersecurity [13]. Yet, comprehensive research covering all security aspects of SRPS remains sparse.…”