Cybersecurity of Autonomous Drones — A Detailed Research Paper

Abstract

Autonomous drones (unmanned aerial systems, UAS) are rapidly proliferating across commercial, civil-governmental, and military domains. Their autonomy — sensor fusion, on-board navigation, AI perception and planning, and remote/cloud services — makes them high-value targets for cyber operations. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the autonomous-drone cybersecurity landscape: system architecture and attack surface; threat taxonomy (remote compromise, GNSS spoofing/jamming, ML attacks, supply-chain and firmware compromise, insider threats); representative incidents and campaigns; technical and organizational vulnerabilities; defense-in-depth controls and detection strategies; policy, standards, and legal considerations; and open research directions. The paper cites recent vulnerability disclosures, supply-chain campaigns, GNSS interference reports, and academic surveys to ground recommendations. Reuters+3ACM Digital Library+3NVD+3