Software Defined Wide Area Networking for secure and resilient Unmanned Aerial Systems

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, have evolved into sophisticated edge computing platforms capable of executing complex computational tasks and transmitting processed data through high-bandwidth communication links. The integration of advanced onboard compute resources and enhanced network connectivity has eliminated many traditional limitations, but it has also introduced new vectors for cyber threat actors to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of these systems. As a result, drones face heightened cybersecurity risks and a significantly expanded attack surface, increasing the probability of impactful cyber–physical incidents. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the current state of research in UAS security, revealing that existing solutions are still in a nascent stage of development. To address these gaps, we propose and validate a novel approach that leverages secure Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) to enhance network resiliency, security, and performance for UAS. This work represents the implementation of a secure SD-WAN-based edge architecture for UAS, incorporating integrated sandboxing capabilities. The proposed architecture offers a technically robust and scalable foundation for securing unmanned aerial systems, with plans for future field trials to further validate its effectiveness in real-world environments.