Public private agency Connected Places Catapult has joined forces with cybersecurity specialist Angoka and Cranfield University in a drone security project funded by UK Research and Innovation’s Future Flight Challenge, part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Authentication System (UASAS) project brings together these three collaborators to create an authentication system that will provide a trusted identification service for drone usage. This system will protect communications from potentially devastating cyberattacks. Trusted identification will allow organisations to ensure that drones are flying in the right zones and without adverse effects to other parties, increasing overall confidence in drone technology, according to an Angoka press release.
As drone technology advances and becomes more commonplace, solutions to protect their communications and identity become more important. Angoka plans to build on work in the NCSC Cyber Accelerator in terms of authentication and identity management for drones and IoT devices.
Yuri Andersson, CEO of ANGOKA commented: “Securing the communication of drones and unmanned vehicles will have a great impact across industries, from logistics to emergency response. We are excited to lead on this innovative project with world-class partners that will pave the way for safe and ubiquitous drone usage.”
However, for drones to truly take off, there needs to be a way to ensure that the communication crucial to controlling and flying the drones is protected. Without this key element, drones are at risk of being hacked and hijacked by nefarious actors, endangering not only the mission of the drone, but the environment around it. Securing drone communication ensures that national infrastructure, such as airports and mobile towers, is also protected.
(Image: Angoka, Shutterstock)
For more information visit:
www.angoka.io
