SROs

SROS, or Secure ROS, is an open-source security extension for the Robot Operating System (ROS) designed to provide authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and access control for communications between ROS nodes. It introduces a certificate-based security model in which each ROS node carries an X.509 certificate issued by a local certificate authority, and inter-node communications on topics, services, and actions can be encrypted and authenticated.

Key features include mutual authentication between nodes, encryption of messages in transit, and a policy language that specifies which nodes are permitted to publish or subscribe to topics, call services, or perform actions. A security daemon and a policy framework work together to enforce these rules at runtime, aiming to reduce the risk of unauthorized access or tampering in ROS-based systems.

Architecture and operation are designed to integrate with the ROS 1 ecosystem. A local certificate authority issues credentials for nodes, and policies govern permissions for communication within the ROS graph. While the ROS master remains involved in discovery, the security layer governs authorization and protects the actual data exchanged between nodes.

History and variants: SROS originated as an open-source effort to address security shortcomings in ROS, providing practical mechanisms for secure deployments in research and industry. It has influenced subsequent work on ROS security, including efforts to bring similar concepts to ROS 2 in the form of SROS2, which adapts the approach to the DDS-based security model used by ROS 2.

Limitations and scope: SROS adds operational complexity, including certificate and policy management, and introduces overhead for encryption and authentication. It does not solve all security challenges in robotic systems and is most applicable to ROS 1 deployments where strong access control and encrypted communication are required.