Authentication and security challenges for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: A survey

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly called drones, have gained significant interest worldwide, as these are mobile autonomous systems, and they have found applications in nearly every field. The rapid growth rate of drone use has exposed tremendous security concerns related to communication platforms, and authentication has become essential to ensure that data interchange between drones is safe. Traditional drones rely on established communication protocols, making them vulnerable to new threats emerging with the advent of a quantum-based world. The current literature still needs comprehensive authentication mechanisms for classical and quantum drones. This survey comprehensively reviews the critical differences in communication security between classical and quantum drones. The work addresses both paradigms’ needs, challenges, and constraints, making the requirement for strong authentication mechanisms essential. In addition, a comprehensive review of typical security threats, attacks, and relevant countermeasures is also provided on classical and quantum drones. Performance analysis computation and communication overhead comparisons are also performed to determine and compare authentication techniques. This work is essential for researchers and practitioners trying to develop security in the emerging landscape of drone technology because it bridges the gap that separates the classical from the quantum communication security of drones.