An ROV, or remotely operated vehicle, is an underwater machine controlled in real time from a surface platform through a tether or other communications link. It usually carries cameras, sensors, and tools, and depends on operator commands, power delivery, and telemetry flowing back to the control station.
In cyber security, ROVs matter because their control paths, navigation data, and stored mission files can be exposed to interception, spoofing, tampering, or loss. If an ROV is captured or recovered, onboard logs, configuration data, and maintenance records may reveal operators, routes, and procedures. Defenders reduce risk by encrypting command and telemetry links where possible, limiting sensitive data stored on the vehicle, segmenting support systems, and treating recovery or inspection as a potential intelligence event. ROVs are the opposite of fully autonomous underwater vehicles: their dependence on live control makes communications security part of operational security.