Cyber-Physical Vulnerabilities in Additive Manufacturing Systems

One of the key advantages of additive manufacturing (AM) is its digital thread, which allows for rapid communication, iteration, and sharing of a design model and its corresponding physical representation. While this enables a more efficient design process, it also presents opportunities for cyber-attacks to impact the physical word. In this paper the authors examine potential attack vectors along the Additive Manufacturing process chain. Specifically, the effects of cyber-physical attacks, and potential means for detecting them, are explored. Based on the results of this study, recommendations are presented for preventing and detecting cyber-physical attacks on AM processes.Mechanical Engineerin