Cybersecurity in Autonomous Systems: Evaluating the performance of hardening ROS

Abstract

As robotic systems spread, cybersecurity emerges
\nas major concern. Currently most research autonomous systems
\nare built using the ROS framework, along with other commercial
\nsoftware. ROS is a distributed framework where nodes publish
\ninformation that other nodes consume. This model simplifies data
\ncommunication but poses a major threat because a malicious
\nprocess could easily interfere the communications, read private
\nmessages or even supersede nodes. In this paper we propose that
\nROS communications should be encrypted. We also measure how
\nencryption affects its performance.We have used 3DES cyphering
\nalgorithm and we have evaluated the performance of the system,
\nboth from the computing and the communications point of view.
\nPreliminary results show that symmetric ciphers using private
\nkeys impose significant delays