Blockchain-Aided Secure Access Control for UAV Computing Networks

Multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) form a UAV cluster, which relies on wireless communication networks to facilitate information interaction among the UAVs. UAV clusters offer enhanced efficiency and fault tolerance, making reliable computing services possible. Compared to terrestrial networks, UAV computing network presents several desirable features, including mobility, availability, and flexibility, affording the potential for seamless global coverage. However, due to the inherent openness of wireless communication networks, UAV computing networks are susceptible to various security attacks. Existing access control mechanisms for UAV computing networks predominantly rely on base stations or central servers. This reliance elevates communication overhead for UAVs and exposes them to potential attacks from adversaries. Therefore, we propose a blockchain-aided distributed secure access control scheme specifically tailored for UAV computing networks, enabling UAVs to autonomously manage and determine identity, attributes, and access policies. To address the communication complexity and scalability concerns associated with blockchains, we integrate committee elections and clustering optimizations into the scheme. Security analysis and performance evaluation demonstrate that the proposed scheme can withstand common external and internal attacks in UAV clusters while ensuring lightweight energy consumption and scalability of UAV computing networks.