Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Peril: Investigating and Addressing Cyber Threats to UAVs

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), more commonly referred to as drones, are powered aircraft that are operated either remotely or via a pre-programmed flight plan. UAVs offer a cheaper alternative for acquiring high-resolution remote sensing data with increased operational flexibility. Lately, they have become prevalent for widespread use in search, rescue, or surveillance in remote, hazardous areas, or areas affected by natural disasters. However, significant cybersecurity threats to drones include a range of risks and vulnerabilities that can compromise the security, integrity, and functionality of unmanned aerial vehicles if protective measures are not implemented. Some of the common cybersecurity attacks on UAVs include GPS spoofing and jamming, remote control takeover, malware and software exploits, sensor spoofing, counter-drone attacks, and data tampering. The results of successful cybersecurity attacks can have radical repercussions on the safety of the mission, payload, structure, and human lives. In this paper, we will investigate the most common cyber threats and possible mitigations.