A study on cyber-security of autonomous and unmanned vehicles

In recent years, there has been significant progress in automation technology, particularly within the automotive sector. However, this advancement also brings forth vulnerabilities, particularly in computing systems susceptible to cyberattacks. Thus, autonomous vehicle systems must integrate defensive measures to ensure both public safety and acceptance. Unmanned systems (UMS) exemplify autonomy, denoting the capability to operate independently from human operators. However, questions and uncertainty arise regarding the integration of public safety and acceptance into autonomous machines and vehicles. The necessity for robust communication technology (ICT) protocols and frameworks becomes apparent across various domains, including trains, unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), civilian aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Cyberattacks present a significant threat, categorized as passive (e.g., eavesdropping, traffic analysis) and active (e.g., masquerade, replay, message modification, Denial of Service (DoS)). Weak security features within protocols like the CAN protocol heighten vulnerabilities, particularly concerning DoS attacks, given its broadcast nature and lack of authenticator fields. Vulnerabilities extend to UAVs, necessitating quantifiable security metrics for effective risk assessment. Mitigation strategies involve leveraging reliable distributed programming tools, employing multi-agent system architecture, embracing redundancy and diversity, utilizing micro-kernel technologies, and implementing authentication and defense-in-depth approaches.