Advanced Sensing Technologies and Cybersecurity for UAV Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Recent years have seen an exponential increase in the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), including surveillance, remote sensing, and environmental monitoring, where UAV-based sensors offer accurate sensing and rapid deployment due to their mobility, light weight, and high-quality sensing capabilities. These technological advancements have established UAVs as critical mobile sensing platforms, capable of acquiring timely, cost-effective, and incredibly rich data in scenarios where traditional methods fall short. Nonetheless, the expansion of this operational field—particularly with the rise in autonomous systems—introduces significant and pressing security challenges, as UAVs become increasingly vulnerable to a wide range of cyber threats targeting drones, ground control stations, data streams, and communication links. Malicious actors can exploit the vulnerabilities to launch various attacks, such as DoS/DDoS, spoofing, and injection attacks. Hence, cybersecurity has become increasingly important for UAVs. This Special Issue aims to address challenges and present innovative methods in the field. Both original research papers and reviews are welcome. Research may focus on (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• UAV sensors and their vulnerabilities;
• The security of ADS-B, remote ID, and vision sensors;
• UAV remote sensing in security operations;
• Privacy issues related to UAV sensing techniques;
• Cyber attacks on UAV networks (UAVs, ground control stations, and communication channels) and their impacts on airspace;
• Cyber attack detection methods;
• Countermeasure techniques;
• Anomaly detection.

Prof. Dr. Naima Kaabouch
Dr. Sicong Shao
Guest Editors

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