Cyber-physical systems (CPS) integrate computing, networking, and physical processes, leading to a wide range of applications such as smart grids, autonomous vehicles, and industrial control systems. These systems pose new challenges to privacy and security due to their interconnected nature and the potential for large-scale data collection. CPS often gather sensitive information from the physical world, such as personal health data from wearable devices or location information from smart home sensors. This data can be vulnerable to unauthorized access, leading to privacy breaches and potential misuse. Additionally, the interconnected nature of CPS means that security vulnerabilities in one component can have cascading effects on the entire system, potentially leading to physical harm or disruption of critical services.
To put it simply, imagine a smart home where various devices like thermostats, cameras, and voice assistants are all connected to the internet. These devices collect data about your daily routines, preferences, and even your voice commands. Now, if a hacker gains access to this interconnected system, they could potentially spy on your activities, manipulate the devices, or even cause physical harm. It’s like having a lock on your front door, but if someone manages to bypass it, they can freely roam around your entire house, accessing your personal belongings and even tampering with important appliances. This interconnectedness and the potential for data collection in cyber-physical systems make privacy and security more challenging to maintain.
Please note that the provided answer is a brief overview; for a comprehensive exploration of privacy, privacy-enhancing technologies, and privacy engineering, as well as the innovative contributions from our students at Carnegie Mellon’s Privacy Engineering program, we highly encourage you to delve into our in-depth articles available through our homepage at https://privacy-engineering-cmu.github.io/.
Author: My name is Aman Priyanshu, you can check out my website for more details or check out my other socials: LinkedIn and Twitter