Testbed for Cybersecurity Assessment of UAS Traffic Control

A testbed is architected for cybersecurity assessment of centralized uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) traffic control systems, as envisioned for future for high-density beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) UAS operations. The testbed replicates canonical high-density UAS control concepts-of-operation (ConOps), such as sequencing and guidance of traffic near a vertiport, using small quadrotors in an indoor drone cage. Line-of-sight and manual BVLOS guidance of each UAS by an operator is emulated. Crucially, a centralized traffic control system is envisioned and replicated, which is made up of: 1) a control server which can communicate with UAS microcontrollers and operators’ displays, 2) ground-based sensors, and 3) a display and user interface for a human traffic controller. Distributed software is architected for the traffic control system, for implementation in Rust and Python. The testbed allows for modular integration of cybersecurity capabilities, including heterogeneous attack detection functions, and integrated cyber defenses such as adaptive network microsegmentation and authentication/authorization. Myriad network and system attacks can be emulated and evaluated using the testbed. The testbed aims to support cybersecurity assessment and design for future aviation systems, in a way that is aviation context aware.