Robot security: the next threat

Researchers at the University of Washington warn that most robotic software is not secure.

According to Network World,Tadayoshi Kohno, a University of Washington assistant professor said that research into robotics shows that security is mostly an afterthought.

He said that he was shocked how easy it was to compromise robots and the damage that they could do as a result.

Some robots operate as wireless access points, and Kohno's team found that a nearby attacker could connect to someone else's robot. Robots such as the Rovio can also be controlled over the Internet and turn the machine into a remote-controlled spy machine.

People forget that robots are little computers and as such can be hacked. But robots could do more than just spy. Robot vandalism could be a major problem as even weak robots can push something down a flight of stairs.