Alias Robotics – Building Cybersecurity for Robots

What happens when we become ill? Our immune system kicks in and attempts to isolate and eliminate the alien organism (bacteria, virus etc) causing the disease. The immune system is our body’s defence against infectious organisms and other invaders. Our immune system is essential to our survival.

Just as the antibodies produced by our immune system neutralize pathogens in our organism, so too the antivirus software protects your PCs from malware attacks.

Robots are connected to the internet same as our PCs and smartphones and are equally vulnerable to malicious activities.

So why don’t we provide our robots with protective systems?

Alias Robotics builds cybersecurity systems for robots

Alias Robotics has made it its mission to educate the 4.0 industry environment on this particular security gap and also provide organizations with a patented solution: the cybersecurity system for robots.

Alias Robotics is a highly innovative Spanish company focused on robot cybersecurity. The team at Alias Robotics take a roboticists’ approach to cybersecurity, delivering security solutions based on cutting edge technological advancements.

Mission

The next generation of robots that will be connected, either to each other or the Internet, and with that comes huge risks to cybersecurity. Alias Robotics exists to protect your robots against all third-party attacks.
For years, manufacturers and end-users have been worried about safety, but there is no safety without security. However, security is not an endpoint, it is a process.

Alias Robotics

This cybersecurity company focuses on cobots – collaborative robots.

Cobots combine the benefits of human intelligence and skills with the advantage of sophisticated robotic technical systems. They work alongside human workers in the same workspace.

Having human workers in the same space with cobots puts the first at risk. Unfortunate events have already been recorded:

• In December 2018, at an Amazon warehouse in the US, a robot punctured a can of bear repellent causing twenty-four workers to feel sick and go to the hospital for medical care;
• In June 2016, a woman working in an assembly line factory was crushed to death by an automated malfunctioning machine.

David Mayoral Vilches, CEO at Alias Robotics states that in order to prevent any harm for humans, safety has to become the topmost priority. But to achieve security, one needs to ensure safety first.

Security often disregarded, is a necessary precondition for safety.

David Mayoral Vilches, CEO at Alias Robotics

The question is: whose responsibility is it to ensure security for robots?

Robot manufacturers are completely ignoring it and robot vendors don’t even take it into consideration claiming it’s the end-user’s responsibility.

Security is a process, not a product. It needs to be assessed continuously. {…} As robots get more introduced into joint workspaces, we foresee catastrophes.

David Mayoral Vilches, CEO of Alias Robotics

Threats, risks and vulnerabilities

• Running cobots with no individual security system makes them vulnerable and turns them into risky assets for organizations and dangerous co-workers.
• Technology like cloud computing, data analysis and the Internet of Things can easily exploit the vulnerability of cobots, providing hackers with a way in.
• The organizations which require increased autonomy of their cobots also run a high risk of having their cobots hacked.
• If hacked, the cobots can be remotely controlled which could lead to the compromising of data and production secrets.
• They could also cause damage to the workplace with both human and financial repercussions which can range from destruction of property to physical injuries and death.

Robots are like candy for hackers.

David Mayoral Vilches, CEO of Alias Robotics

Cybersecurity for robots is an interdisciplinary effort. The team at Alias Robotics comprises of outstanding roboticists, security researchers and machine learning engineers with global experience and a passion for cyber-physical systems.

Learn more: David Mayoral Vilches – Cybersecurity for Robots 

To help its clients, Alias Robotics provides the following services:

• Robot security assessments: physical robot hacking, virtual robot hacking and robot code testing;
• Security consulting: robotic software development cycle (RSDLC), robot threat analysis and robotics compliance.

Vision

We envision a future where robots operate securely alongside humans in many different areas of life. In order for this to happen, they must be secure: these machines have to be protected as they go mainstream and become more deeply connected.
Experts agree that security should be at the top of the agenda for robot manufacturers and end-users.

Awards

To acknowledge its innovative work, Alias Robotics has received many awards:

• Selected as one of the best 70 national startups and among the 100 most disruptive startups in Southern Europe by 123emprende, a Spanish platform that helps entrepreneurs create successful and sustainable companies;
• Finalist at BIND 4.0, an acceleration program aimed at startups with tech products or services with application in Advanced Manufacturing, Smart Energy, Health Tech fields;
• Winner of the B2B Enterprise Technologies Competition at the 2018 Spain Startup – South Summit;
• Winner of the first RobotUnion acceleration programme, the 1st European Accelerator fully focused on Robotics startup and SMEs.

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David Mayoral Vilches (Alias Robotics) – Cybersecurity for Robots

CEO and founder of Spanish Startup Alias Robotics David Mayoral Vilches is an entrepreneur with experience in the area of robotics. Forbes 30 Under 30 included David in its 2019 Europe list for his accomplishments and forward-thinking.

Alias Robotics is a cybersecurity firm that creates “alias”, an artificial immune system for robots. The company provides assessment and solutions to build, program and deploy robots while caring about safety, security and privacy.

Learn more: 3 Robots Shaping Our Future

Cybersecurity for robots is a new concept so I reached out to David to learn more about him and his passion for robots.

1. You are a roboticist. What inspired you to become one?

For me, it’s a family industry.

I’ve always been drawn to robotic technology and so have my father and brother. Being an entrepreneurial roboticist has become my passion and I’d say I picked a good one because nowadays robots are everywhere.

Robots are and will always be relevant, therefore a market need will continue to surround them and their industry.

2. When did you decide to change your career from building robots to designing cybersecurity systems for robots?

After the first company I founded, Erle Robotics, had grown and sold to a Swiss multinational I started thinking of my next big adventure.

Growing Erle made me aware of many things, one of them being the vulnerabilities of robots.

3. Your company provides manufacturers and end-users with a new and innovative solution – cybersecurity for robots. What challenges did your team encounter?

With any sort of disruptive technology, funding can be a challenge.

Our team knows our idea is the future for this industry, investors do too, but because there isn’t anything to compare it to in the current market, they hesitate to commit to the investment.

Securing funding for the next stage of growth has always been a challenge.

4. Share with us your vision of the future.

My vision is that my companies have had a positive impact on how technology is used and protected.

I also want to have inspired others to push themselves further in the fields of STEM.

Curious to know more about cybersecurity for robots?

Check our article dedicated to Alias Robotics!

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