Multivector Attack Detection and Holistic Real-time Recovery for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Dr. Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman
Associate Professor at the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences (KFSCIS), Florida International University (FIU)
Abstract: With the rise in the application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), their associated security concerns have become paramount. The primary working principle behind UAVs is based on the sensor controller-actuation cycle. Deviations between the set points and sensor data are computed through a PID controller and translated to pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signals that control the orientation and movement of a UAV. Attacks on this cyber-physical interaction process easily put the UAV in danger. Current security research is primarily focused on intrusion detection systems (IDSs) that protect UAVs against attacks on sensor data, such as GPS spoofing, jamming, and network intrusion. However, these UAVs are also vulnerable to hardware/firmware attacks. Moreover, in addition to network-level attacks, there are also hardware/firmware vulnerabilities. For instance, hardware Trojans (HTs) can manipulate the PWM signals, and given the untrusted supply chain, HTs are a critical threat. Adversaries can exploit PWM signals to manipulate UAV operations subtly, thereby bypassing traditional IDSs that monitor sensor data. Hence, verifying the integrity of the PWM signals and understanding the intricate mapping between the sensor, controller, and the generated PWM outputs is critical for end-to-end security up to the power electronics layer. While intrusion detection is vital, real-time recovery is gaining paramount importance to enable the application of UAVs in mission-critical tasks. Traditional recovery mechanisms often focus narrowly on sensor or control system disruptions, neglecting the interconnected vulnerabilities, particularly at the actuator level. To address these gaps, a comprehensive security framework is greatly needed that can perform robust detection, precise attack categorization, and tailored recovery processes across the entire UAV system. This talk will present our recent works that address these research objectives.
Bio: Dr. Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman is an Associate Professor at the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences (KFSCIS) at Florida International University (FIU). He is also the Associate Director of the Center for Integrated Security, Privacy, and Trustworthy (CIERTA). He obtained a PhD in Computing and Information Systems in 2015 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Previously, he received a BS and an MS in Computer Science and Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Dr. Rahman’s primary research interests encompass a diverse range of problems in computer networks and cyber-physical systems (CPSs). His research focus primarily includes attack resiliency analysis and security hardening. His research is funded mainly by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense. Dr. Rahman authored a book and several book chapters and has published over 175 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers. He served on various journal editorial boards and conference technical program committees (TPCs). In particular, Dr. Rahman is the Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security and the IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management. He also served as the TPC CoChair of IEEE/IFIP NOMS 2023.
Via ZOOM
Oct 7th Tuesday 12:15-1:15pm
Join Link https://clarkson.zoom.us/j/98225948932?pwd=wmshei1qvuvcuSx1yo6aBPjl6If3S6.1
*Co-Sponsored by IEEE student branch and HKN