Snippets: Robots easy to hack

Some of the most popular industrial and consumer robots are dangerously easy to hack and could be turned into bugging devices or weapons, according to IOActive Inc. The Seattle-based cyber security firm found major security flaws in industrial models sold by Universal Robots, a division of U.S. technology company Teradyne Inc.

The company also cited issues with consumer robots Pepper and NAO, which are manufactured by Japan’s Softbank Group Corp., and the Alpha 1 and Alpha 2 made by China-based UBTech Robotics. These vulnerabilities identified by the security firm could allow the robots to be turned into surveillance devices, surreptitiously spying on their owners, or let them to be hijacked and used to physically harm people or damage property.

According to Bloomberg, IOActive issued an initial report highlighting many of these vulnerabilities in March but withheld the specific techniques used to hack into the software that controls the robots in order to give manufacturers time to fix flaws. However, on Tuesday, the cybersecurity firm made technical details of the hacks public.

Construction challenges

Managing costs (46 per cent), growing revenue (30 per cent) and business expansion (26 per cent) were top business challenges as the construction industry faces increased pressure to meet growing demand for its services, according to a survey by global software-as-a-service provider Teletrac Navman.

The survey findings are from the Telematics Benchmark Report: Global Construction Edition, which provides a view of telematics trends affecting the global construction market. The global construction market is expected to grow by 85 per cent to $15.5 trillion worldwide by 2030. The survey revealed technology is beginning to disrupt construction, with a majority of companies looking for ways to improve efficiencies and reduce accidents.