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About

Laura Alzola Kirschgens is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of robotics and cybersecurity, whose work has fundamentally shaped how the field approaches robot safety and security. Her research focuses on identifying and systematically addressing security vulnerabilities in robotic systems, recognizing that as robots become increasingly embedded in daily life and critical industries, their security implications extend far beyond traditional IT concerns. Among her most significant contributions is the development of the Robot Security Framework (RSF), a standardized methodology for conducting security assessments in robotics, and the Robot Vulnerability Scoring System (RVSS), an adapted scoring system that accounts for the unique cyber-physical nature of robots—work that has collectively garnered over 30 citations. She has also advanced the field through research on volatile memory forensics for the Robot Operating System and modular collaborative robots, demonstrating a broad command of both theoretical and practical dimensions of robot security. Alzola Kirschgens further helped bridge the gap between robotics and cybersecurity communities through the creation of the Robotics CTF (RCTF), an innovative platform for hands-on robot hacking challenges. Her body of work, concentrated in 2018, represents a formative contribution to an emerging discipline that will only grow in importance.