Autonomous Vehicles: Threats, Risks & Opportunities is the title of a new report out of the United States by the ASIS Foundation, part of the security managers’ association ASIS International.
The report concludes that AVs present ‘pressing security challenges, both as a risk to be managed, and as increasingly important organisational tools forming part of the cyber-physical landscape needing to be secured’. Such technologies are becoming more ubiquitous, the report points out, notable ‘uncrewed aircraft systems’, also known as drones.
The authors – Ishmael Bhila, Peter Lee, and Prof Alison Wakefield of the University of West London – set out how ‘drone-in-a-box’ systems can cover much greater areas than ground-based equipment and personnel. AVs can be of use – on land, under water and in the air – for the disposal of explosives; for data-gathering, such as before firearm response; for search and rescue; and to carry out video surveillance, particularly of rough or remote areas. Such products have to be used safely and ethically, and as platforms are liable to cyberattack, the authors warn. AVs can disrupt airports, political and sporting events; intrude to capture video of critical, sensitive or commercial sites; and weaponised, can carry explosives or grenades.
On the cyber side, threats to legitimate use of AVs include damage to render a system unusable, and hacking that could result in control of an AV being taken by terrorists. Security concerns will escalate as commercial AVs are increasingly adapted by criminals and terrorist groups as lessons are learned from war zones such as Yemen, Ukraine and Gaza, the authors suggest.
Also covered are public perceptions (if autonomous systems include CCTV or facial recognition, people’s right to privacy may be violated if the systems are used in public places) and regulations around use if autonomous systems are supported by AI. Such risks need including in organizational risk management frameworks, the report argues.
The report is downloadable free by ASIS members; others have to pay. Criminologist Prof Martin Gill of the UK-based consultancy Perpetuity chairs ASIS Foundation. He said: “Ishmael Bhila, Peter Lee, and Alison Wakefield’s research is a testament to their dedication to understanding the complexities of AV technologies within security applications. Their findings provide invaluable guidance for security practitioners seeking to harness the transformative potential of AVs while safeguarding against potential risks.”
Visit https://www.asisonline.org/get-involved/asis-foundation/.
Photo by Mark Rowe; perimeter of RAF Kinloss, northern Scotland, with no-drone signage by the Ministry of Defence.
