Cyber4Drone: A Systematic Review of Cyber Security and Forensics in Next-Generation Drones

Cyber Security and forensics for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) pose unique requirements, solutions, and challenges. As UAVs become increasingly prevalent for legitimate and illegal use, ensuring their security and data integrity is important. Solutions have been developed to tackle these security requirements. Drone forensics enables the investigation of security incidents involving UAVs, aiding in identifying attackers or determining the cause of accidents. However, challenges persist in the domain of UAV security and forensics. This paper surveys drone threat models, security, and privacy aspects. In particular, we present the taxonomy of drone forensics for investigating drone systems and talk about relevant artifacts, tools, and benchmark datasets. While solutions exist, challenges such as evolving technology and complex operational environments must be addressed through collaboration, updated protocols, and regulatory frameworks to ensure drones’ secure and reliable operation. Furthermore, we also point out the field’s difficulties and potential future directions.