Mohamed Slim Ben Mahmoud

Secure routing protocol design for UAV Ad hoc NETworks

UAV Ad hoc NETworks (UAANETs) can be defined as a new form of ad hoc networks in which nodes are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Ground Control Station (GCS). Compared to the usual Mobile Ad hoc NETwork (MANET), this new network paradigm has some unique features and brings specific challenges such as node mobility degree, network connectivity patterns, delay-sensitive applications and network security. Indeed, from routing point of view, none of the several UAANET routing protocols proposed in the literature have been designed with security in mind. This lack of consideration can make the certification of UAANETs difficult to obtain. In this paper, we present our vision of such a challenge and the research that we are conducting. The aim is to propose an original secure routing protocol for UAANETs using a Model Driven Development (MDD) approach which will ease the certification of final UAV products. The first preliminary results concerning our secure-routing protocol design will be presented. This paper describes our ongoing research which will provide secure communications for UAV ad hoc networks at the end of the SUANET (Secure Uav Ad-hoc NETwork) project.

An ADS-B Based Secure Geographical Routing Protocol for Aeronautical Ad Hoc Networks

Data communications are currently considered as a key enabler in the modernization of the aviation industry. Current aircraft are becoming equipped with advanced data communication capabilities, whereas the aviation stakeholders are seeking for new communication solutions to face the increasing air traffic load. Thus, we can expect to see large scale aeronautical ad hoc networks which could be used to meet those needs in the near future. This paper discusses the security issues to be addressed in routing protocols defined in the scope of aeronautical ad hoc networks. Existing routing approaches are briefly discussed, then a secure geographical routing protocol for future aircraft ad hoc networks is proposed. Finally the protocol is formally verified and its performances are discussed.

Aeronautical communication transition from analog to digital data: A network security survey

Abstract The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive survey of security challenges in aeronautical data communication networks. The civil aviation industry is currently going through an evolution of the air traffic management system. The aviation communication technologies are progressively shifting towards the use of digital data instead of analog voice for traffic control, airline business, and passenger onboard entertainment systems. This paper illustrates the cause-to-effect chain link starting from the modernization of the aeronautical communication systems and leading to the network security concern in the civil aviation. The general threats to air–ground communication are depicted and then categorized. The paper gives an overview of the civil aviation industry efforts for securing the future aeronautical data communications. The security mechanisms and protocols proposed for this purpose are discussed. Open research issues and challenges that have to be addressed in the security of current and future aeronautical data communication networks are presented in detail. The paper concludes with some improvement directions which can help to address those security issues. This survey can be used as a reference guide to first understand the factors that urge both the research community and the aviation industry to be concerned about network security in future aeronautical data communications. Also, it can be used as a first reading to have a global overview of network security issues, challenges and potential solutions in air–ground communication networks.

Extended verification of secure UAANET routing protocol

UAV Ad hoc Network (UAANET) is a wireless ad hoc network composed of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Ground Control Station (GCS). It requires an efficient and secure routing protocols to find accurate and secure route between nodes to exchange data traffics. There have been several secure routing proposals to ensure data authentication and integrity services of ad hoc routing protocols. However, most of them are vulnerable against wormhole attacks and therefore cannot be used for UAANET directly without amendment. The wormhole attack involves two attackers who perform a colluding attack. In this paper, we present a new UAANET secure routing protocol called SUAP (Secure Uav Ad hoc routing Protocol). It ensures message authentication and provides detection and prevention of wormhole attacks. SUAP is a reactive protocol using public key cryptography, hash chains and geographical leashes. We have carried out a formal verification analysis of SUAP security properties using the AVISPA tool, an automated model checker for the analysis of security features. We have also validated our security proposal through formal model checking using Simulink and Stateflow tools. Additionally, we use a hybrid experimental system (based on virtual machines and a virtual mesh framework) under a realistic UAANET scenario to evaluate SUAP routing performances and validate its security properties.

Joint Model-Driven design and real experiment-based validation for a secure UAV Ad hoc Network routing protocol

UAV Ad hoc Network (UAANET) is a wireless ad hoc network composed of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Ground Control Station (GCS). Compared to the standard Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANETs), the UAANET architecture has some specific features that brings exciting challenges to communication architecture design. One of them is the design challenge of a UAANET routing protocols. It must find an accurate and reliable route between nodes in a timely manner to exchange data traffics. It must also be secured to preserve efficiency in the presence of malicious attackers and provides data integrity and authentication. Furthermore, UAANETs must be certified in the near future to act as autonomous systems without a dedicated safety pilot and to be authorized to fly in the national airspace. In such a context, in this paper, we contribute to the certification of the secure UAANET communication system software using a Model-Driven Development (MDD) approach and real experiments based validation. The validation process followed uses sequentially formal verification methods and real-world experimental results. The objective is to evaluate the routing protocol efficiency to a set of unexpected hazardous issues that come with the real environment.

Original Rapid Prototyping Method for Embedded Systems for UAVs

Design tools such as MATLAB/Simulink® or Lustre/SCADE can help us to understand the complexity of a system by offering high levels of abstraction. They also allow formal methods to be used in the embedded software development lifecycle. These tools make it possible to model the environment in which the software is to be implemented. The general concept involves building the critical embedded program directly from models in order to limit design errors and to save time in the development process. While UML is often used for software modeling, MATLAB/Simulink presents a significant advantage, in that it enables a global view of the software system and its environment which contains enough information to validate behavior in relation to a specification. This tool is often used in industry for designing and testing avionic software. Feedback has shown that MATLAB/Simulink is also useful in the certification process.

1 – State of the Art of Model-driven Development (MDD) as Applied to Aeronautical Systems

Faced with an exponential increase in program complexity, operators in the aeronautical sector have established software-based certification procedures based on the use of model-driven methods. These methods guarantee a certain level of operational security, and in some cases make the design process easier.