Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering (한국정보통신학회논문지)

The Korea Institute of Information and Commucation Engineering (한국정보통신학회)
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The proposal of a cryptographic method for the communication message security of GCS to support safe UAV operations

안정적인 UAV 운영을 위한 GCS의 통신메시지의 암호화 제안

  • Kim, Byoung-Kug (Department of Computer Software, Induk University) ;
  • Hong, Sung-Hwa (Division of Navigational Information System, Mokpo National Maritime University) ;
  • Kang, Jiheon (Department of Software, Duksung Women's University)
  • Received : 2021.07.15
  • Accepted : 2021.08.09
  • Published : 2021.10.31
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Abstract

IoT (Internet of Things) emerges from various technologies such as communications, micro processors and embedded system and so on. The IoT has also been used to UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) system. In manned aircraft, a pilot and co-pilot should control FCS (Flight Control System) with FBW(Fly By Wire) system for flight operation. In contrast, the flight operation in UAV system is remotely and fully managed by GCS (Ground Control System) almost in real time. To make it possible the communication channel should be necessary between the UAV and the GCS. There are many protocols between two systems. Amongst them, MAVLink (Macro Air Vehicle Link) protocol is representatively used due to its open architecture. MAVLink does not define any securities itself, which results in high vulnerability from external attacks. This paper proposes the method to enhance data security in GCS network by applying cryptographic methods to the MAVLink messages in order to support safe UAV operations.

IoT(Internet of Things) 기술은 통신, 마이크로 프로세서 그리고 임베디드 소프트웨어 기술의 발전과 융합으로 인해 탄생 되었다. 그에 따른 응용 중 하나로 UAV(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, 무인 항공기) 시스템에도 적용되고 있다. 운용상 유인용 항공기(manned aircraft)는 지상에 있는 관제 시스템을 통해 운항의 지시를 받아, 조종사가 직접 비행 기체를 제어하는 방식으로 운영되지만, UAV는 GCS(Ground Control System, 지상 제어시스템)를 통해 직접 비행 제어를 받는다. 따라서 UAV와 GCS 간의 통신을 위한 프로토콜로 개방형인 MAVLink (Macro Air Vehicle Link)가 주로 사용이 되고 있으나, 범용이고 공개적이다 보니 일부구간에서 제삼자에 의해 쉽게 노출되어 비행체의 상태 및 기타 제어 정보 등의 정보 보안에 취약하다. 본 제안은 UAV를 안전하게 운영하기 위한 GCS 내 통신메시지의 암호화 적용 방안을 제시한다.

Keywords

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