Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
security
privacy
assistive technologies
cyber-physical risks
threat modeling
Security and Privacy in Virtual and Robotic Assistive Systems: A Comparative Framework
🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the multifaceted security and privacy risks—ranging from data leakage and unauthorized access to sensor spoofing and physical safety threats—posed by virtual and robot-assisted systems designed to enhance independence among older adults and individuals with disabilities. It presents the first unified threat modeling framework that systematically compares the attack surfaces, threat categories, and risk dimensions across these two system types. Grounded in threat modeling, attack surface analysis, and risk assessment, and informed by advances in artificial intelligence, sensing, and communication technologies, the work proposes concrete, actionable design guidelines for safeguarding security and privacy. These guidelines offer both theoretical grounding and practical reference for developing trustworthy assistive systems.
📝 Abstract
Assistive technologies increasingly support independence, accessibility, and safety for older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals requiring continuous care. Two major categories are virtual assistive systems and robotic assistive systems operating in physical environments. Although both offer significant benefits, they introduce important security and privacy risks due to their reliance on artificial intelligence, network connectivity, and sensor-based perception. Virtual systems are primarily exposed to threats involving data privacy, unauthorized access, and adversarial voice manipulation. In contrast, robotic systems introduce additional cyber-physical risks such as sensor spoofing, perception manipulation, command injection, and physical safety hazards. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of security and privacy challenges across these systems. We develop a unified comparative threat-modeling framework that enables structured analysis of attack surfaces, risk profiles, and safety implications across both systems. Moreover, we provide design recommendations for developing secure, privacy-preserving, and trustworthy assistive technologies.
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
comparative threat modeling
assistive technologies
security and privacy
cyber-physical risks
AI-driven systems
🔎 Similar Papers
No similar papers found.
