"I will always be by your side": A Side-Channel Aided PWM-based Holistic Attack Recovery for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a crucial role across diverse applications but remain vulnerable to sophisticated cyber-physical attacks targeting their sensor-control-actuation systems. Traditional recovery mechanisms often focus narrowly on sensor or control system disruptions, neglecting the interconnected vulnerabilities, particularly at the actuator level. To address these gaps, we propose SHIELD: Side-channel analysis-based multimodal Holistic Intrusion Evaluation with Layered Defense. It is a comprehensive security framework that leverages side-channel data for robust detection, precise attack categorization, and tailored recovery processes across the entire UAV system. Side channels provide critical, hard-to-manipulate information that enhances the detection of sophisticated, stealthy attacks. By categorizing the specific nature of an attack, SHIELD selects the most appropriate recovery strategy, focusing on the integrity of pulse width modulation (PWM) signals to ensure effective recovery and mission continuity. This makes SHIELD a holistic approach across the sensor-control-actuation spectrum.