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| en:safeav:as:cybersec [2025/10/29 07:41] – pczekalski | en:safeav:as:cybersec [2025/10/29 07:53] (current) – ToDo checked: pczekalski |
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| {{:en:iot-open:czapka_b.png?50| Bachelors (1st level) classification icon }} | {{:en:iot-open:czapka_b.png?50| Bachelors (1st level) classification icon }} |
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| <todo @pczekalski></todo> | <todo @pczekalski #pczekalski:2025-10-29></todo> |
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| Drones' cybersecurity covers all aspects of IT security systems, but due to their autonomous operations and the physical presence of potentially dangerous devices, they could have a far greater impact on outcomes, including life-threatening incidents. This is related to their physical presence, including commonly relatively high weight (compared to the human body), high operational speeds and thus large impact energy. | Drones' cybersecurity covers all aspects of IT security systems, but due to their autonomous operations and the physical presence of potentially dangerous devices, they could have a far greater impact on outcomes, including life-threatening incidents. This is related to their physical presence, including commonly relatively high weight (compared to the human body), high operational speeds and thus large impact energy. |
| </table> | </table> |
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| Domain-specific cybersecurity challenges and threats. | Technically, drones are a blend of robotics and ICT and thus pose domain-specific cybersecurity challenges and threats, which we juxtapose in the table {{ref>table3}} along with estimates of potential impact and mitigation strategies. Many of them are identical or similar to the embedded systems, AI and IoT domains. |
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| ^ **Category** ^ **Attack / Threat Type** ^ **Impact** ^ **Mitigation Strategies** ^ | <table table3> |
| | **Communication & Control Links** | Jamming (RF denial) | Loss of command/control, mission abortion | Frequency hopping, spread-spectrum communications, redundancy (LTE/SAT backup) | | <caption> Domain-specific vulnerabilities, threats and their mitigation strategies</caption> |
| | | Spoofing (GPS/Command) | UAV hijacking or route deviation | Encrypted control channels, GNSS authentication, sensor fusion for validation | | ^ **Category** ^ **Attack / Threat Type** ^ **Impact** ^ **Mitigation Strategies** ^ |
| | | Eavesdropping | Leakage of telemetry or video | End-to-end encryption (AES, TLS), mutual authentication | | | **Communication & Control Links** | Jamming (RF denial) | Loss of command/control, mission abortion | Frequency hopping, spread-spectrum communications, redundancy (LTE/SAT backup) | |
| | | Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) | Command alteration or injection | Digital signatures, certificate-based identity, integrity verification | | | ::: | Spoofing (GPS/Command) | UAV hijacking or route deviation | Encrypted control channels, GNSS authentication, sensor fusion for validation | |
| | **Data Security** | Unencrypted transmission | Theft of mission data, privacy violation | Use of VPNs or secure links (TLS/DTLS), data minimization | | | ::: | Eavesdropping | Leakage of telemetry or video | End-to-end encryption (AES, TLS), mutual authentication | |
| | | Compromised onboard storage | Exposure of sensitive data after capture | Encrypted storage, self-wiping memory, tamper detection | | | ::: | Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) | Command alteration or injection | Digital signatures, certificate-based identity, integrity verification | |
| | **Software & Firmware Integrity** | Malicious firmware updates | Persistent compromise, backdoors | Signed updates, secure boot, trusted update servers | | | **Data Security** | Unencrypted transmission | Theft of mission data, privacy violation | Use of VPNs or secure links (TLS/DTLS), data minimisation | |
| | | Outdated software | Exploitable vulnerabilities | Regular patching, vulnerability scanning | | | ::: | Compromised onboard storage | Exposure of sensitive data after capture | Encrypted storage, self-wiping memory, tamper detection | |
| | | Malware infection | Unauthorized control or data theft | Air-gapped maintenance, USB/media controls, antivirus monitoring | | | **Software & Firmware Integrity** | Malicious firmware updates | Persistent compromise, backdoors | Signed updates, secure boot, trusted update servers | |
| | **Navigation Systems** | GPS spoofing | False navigation, crash, or theft | Multi-sensor fusion (INS + GNSS + vision), anomaly detection | | | ::: | Outdated software | Exploitable vulnerabilities | Regular patching, vulnerability scanning | |
| | | GPS jamming | Position loss, uncontrolled drift | Anti-jam antennas, inertial backup navigation | | | ::: | Malware infection | Unauthorized control or data theft | Air-gapped maintenance, USB/media controls, antivirus monitoring | |
| | **Hardware & Supply Chain** | Hardware backdoors | Hidden persistent access | Supply chain vetting, component attestation, hardware testing | | | **Navigation Systems** | GPS spoofing | False navigation, crash, or theft | Multi-sensor fusion (INS + GNSS + vision), anomaly detection | |
| | | Physical capture | Reverse engineering, key extraction | Encrypted memory, tamper-resistant enclosures, key rotation | | | ::: | GPS jamming | Position loss, uncontrolled drift | Anti-jam antennas, inertial backup navigation | |
| | **Network & Cloud Systems** | Ground control compromise | Full UAV fleet takeover | Network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, IDS/IPS | | | **Hardware & Supply Chain** | Hardware backdoors | Hidden persistent access | Supply chain vetting, component attestation, hardware testing | |
| | | Cloud data breach | Exposure of telemetry or missions | Strong access control, encryption at rest/in transit, audit logs | | | ::: | Physical capture | Reverse engineering, key extraction | Encrypted memory, tamper-resistant enclosures, key rotation | |
| | | API abuse | Unauthorized remote commands | API authentication, rate limiting, token-based access | | | **Network & Cloud Systems** | Ground control compromise | Full UAV fleet takeover | Network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, IDS/IPS | |
| | **AI & Autonomy** | Adversarial AI input | Misclassification, unsafe actions | Robust AI training, adversarial testing, sensor redundancy | | | ::: | Cloud data breach | Exposure of telemetry or missions | Strong access control, encryption at rest/in transit, audit logs | |
| | | Model poisoning | Manipulated learning behavior | Secure dataset curation, signed models, anomaly detection | | | ::: | API abuse | Unauthorized remote commands | API authentication, rate limiting, token-based access | |
| | **System Resilience** | Single points of failure | System-wide outage | Distributed control, redundant communication paths | | | **AI & Autonomy** | Adversarial AI input | Misclassification, unsafe actions | Robust AI training, adversarial testing, sensor redundancy | |
| | | Poor fail-safe design | Crashes during disruption | Secure failover modes, autonomous return-to-base logic | | | ::: | Model poisoning | Manipulated learning behavior | Secure dataset curation, signed models, anomaly detection | |
| | **Regulatory & Standards** | Lack of standards | Inconsistent security posture | Adoption of DO-326A / NIST frameworks, international harmonization | | | **System Resilience** | Single points of failure | System-wide outage | Distributed control, redundant communication paths | |
| | | Weak certification | Deployment of insecure UAVs | Third-party audits, mandatory penetration testing | | | ::: | Poor fail-safe design | Crashes during disruption | Secure failover modes, autonomous return-to-base logic | |
| | **Human Factors** | Operator credential theft | Unauthorized UAV access | Multi-factor authentication, training, credential hygiene | | | **Regulatory & Standards** | Lack of standards | Inconsistent security posture | Adoption of DO-326A / NIST frameworks, international harmonization | |
| | | Insider threats | Intentional sabotage or leakage | Role-based access, behavior monitoring, background checks | | | ::: | Weak certification | Deployment of insecure UAVs | Third-party audits, mandatory penetration testing | |
| | | **Human Factors** | Operator credential theft | Unauthorized UAV access | Multi-factor authentication, training, credential hygiene | |
| | | ::: | Insider threats | Intentional sabotage or leakage | Role-based access, behavior monitoring, background checks | |
| Good practices. | </table> |
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