Florida International University researchers have developed a defence system that enables drones to detect cyberattacks, recover control and complete their missions whilst under assault.
The SHIELD framework identifies hijacking attempts in 0.21 seconds on average and restores normal flight within 0.36 seconds, according to research unveiled at the IEEE International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks.
Traditional drone security systems terminate missions when attacks are detected as a fail-safe measure. SHIELD monitors the entire control system rather than just sensors, detecting abnormalities in hardware such as battery surges or processor overheating that signal attacks.
The system uses machine learning to diagnose attack types and applies tailored recovery protocols. Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman, lead researcher and associate professor in FIU’s Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, said the recovery capability distinguishes the technology from existing approaches.
“What’s important about our framework is that it helps the system recover, so the mission can be completed,” Rahman said.
The Federal Aviation Administration proposed expanding commercial drone use across industries this summer, raising concerns about security as businesses from Amazon to agriculture deploy unmanned aircraft.
The FIU research group plans to scale up testing for real-world deployment. “Reliable and secure drones are the key to unlocking future advancements,” Rahman said. “It’s our hope this work can play a role in moving the industry forward.”
