By Courtney Theim
SecureWorld Media

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is the process in which a printer with an ultraviolet laser produces very thin layers of a material until a 3D object is formed.

While 3D printing is becoming the way of the future for manufacturing goods such as prosthetics, aviation parts, and film props, there are cybersecurity risks associated.

A paper recently published by a group of researchers from NYU's Tandon School of Engineering found that 'printing orientation' and the insertion of 'fine defects' are two potential areas for security breaches.

The printing process begins with a designer creating a CAD (Computer Assisted Design) file that models the object you want to create and tells the printer how to manufacture it. However, these files don't instruct the printer head how to orient itself, so a hacker could corrupt the file and change the finished product's strength by as much as 25%. This is especially problematic as the product becomes exposed to conditions such as heat or light over time.

Fine defects can also be inserted into the CAD file, creating small discrepancies as the printer applies the different layers of material. These defects are so small that they normally can't be detected in post-quality control procedures, although they can cause the product to fail when exposed to elements over time.

As 3D printing technologies become more integrated with manufacturing processes, new security measures will have to be implemented to ensure that a hacker can't breach the printer while connected to the Internet.

In a press release from the school, Ramesh Karri, professor of electrical and computer engineering, says, "With the growth of cloud-based and decentralized production environments, it is critical that all entities within the additive manufacturing supply chain be aware of the unique challenges presented to avoid significant risk to the reliability of the product."