UAS Authentication Service (UASAS)

The rapid emergence of new technologies is fostering a revolution in the flight sector which will drastically change the way people and goods are transported, with the potential to improve connectivity and alleviate environmental and societal issues.

As the skies become crowded with manned and unmanned aircraft, new solutions are being developed to securely manage this increasingly complex air traffic. Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems are emerging as the new paradigm for achieving that.

UTM is a system of systems, made of a multitude of participants in the form of operators, service providers and public entities and authorities. High connectivity, automation and integration of such complex systems inevitably will open doors to a range of security threats.

Although a user will be required by law to register and be uniquely identifiable within UTM, a malicious intruder could fool the system by impersonating an authorised user, potentially causing great damage. Being able to foil such attempts is of absolute importance for the safety and security of the integrated airspace and all its users.

Angoka has built an expertise in securing vehicle communication in the automotive sector, through the introduction of a unique mechanism of hardware authentication. We believe that the technology can be adapted and transferred from Connected Autonomous Vehicles to Unmanned Air Systems (UAS), to make it impossible for attackers to forge their identity.

Working with the Connected Places Catapult, Angoka will analyse the requirements for the integration of their solution into UTM. With the help of Cranfield University, the hardware unit will be interfaced to a drone for a real flight demonstration. As well as proving the robustness and resilience of the end-to-end authentication solution, we will also show that the trust can be seamlessly retained when crossing different domains serviced by different communication networks.