Cybersecurity for Safety: Risk Assessment of Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems

Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence and Industry 4.0 have led to a new generation of autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs), including self-driving cars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and multi-robot systems, possibly operating in critical environments. With the increase in systems complexity, the distinction between safety and security becomes blurred, with cyber-attacks affecting both security and safety attributes of CPSs. Failures can potentially lead to severe consequences and hazards, such as environmental pollution and hazards to human operators. In light of the above, in this paper, we propose a novel risk assessment methodology tailored to safety-and security-critical CPSs. The methodology begins with identifying a specific threat scenario, enabling the analysis of risks caused by cyber-attacks. These risks are then evaluated in terms of safety and privacy using the EVITA approach. The methodology's effectiveness is demonstrated through a case study of an autonomous wheelchair within the REXASI-PRO European project.