Securing Autonomous UAV Cluster With Blockchain-Based Threshold Key Management System Utilizing Crypto-Asset and Multisignature

Unmanned aerial vehicles deployed in remote locations rely on self-governed key management for their protection. However, conventional key management depends on a centralized ground-based station or single vehicle. Such a system is vulnerable to compromised certificate authority problems and single-points-of-failure. This paper proposed to resolve these vulnerabilities using a blockchain-based threshold key management system. The proposed system utilized blockchain’s concepts of crypto-asset and multisignature. Keys are defined as crypto-assets to improve their management in the blockchain network. Multisignature facilitates collaboration during key management based on a threshold value. The threshold value is also configurable to meet systems’ security and performance requirements. The proposed system secured the process of re-enforcement, sub-clustering, re-merging, and inter-cluster migration. Security analysis revealed that the proposed system complied with most key management security guidelines. The custom signature module used to authenticate intra-cluster communication was also verified as safe. Threats to the cluster were identified, assessed for risk, and mitigated accordingly. Performance analysis found that both AODV and DSDV routing protocols offer consistent performance but DSDV prevailed during the worst-case network scenario. The paper finally identified research gaps, including the requirement for an optimized mechanism for collecting consent signatures.