Towards the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Traffic Management Systems (UTMs): Security Risks and Challenges
Konstantinos Spalas
TL;DR
This paper surveys security risks and challenges for Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM), contrasting centralized and decentralized architectures, and examining how communications, decision-making, and performance evaluation will shape safe BVLOS operations. It integrates IoT, cryptography, and blockchain to frame a security-oriented UTM landscape, highlighting regulatory roles (FAA, EASA, ICAO), AI safety, and potential quantum threats. The authors discuss open issues in interoperability, data security, and AI governance, and argue for quantum-resistant, blockchain-backed decentralized UTMs with appropriate standards. Practical implications include requirement for low-latency C2/A2A links, robust deconfliction, and standardized cross-border operations essential for scalable, safe airspace use.
Abstract
Every aspect of our life depends on the ability to communicate effectively. Organizations that manage to establish communication routines, protocols and means thrive. An Aerial Traffic Management System operates similarly as an organization but certainly in a more strict manner. Third party agencies ensure several aspects of their functionality, the utmost to be consider safety. Many people take safety as granted but it is a pretty difficult part our daily functions. Thus, apart from digesting new things and habits of the new era, simultaneously we have to ensure safety in every part of it. It is true that the more data we produce, the more information we create and the more specialization we must introduce in order to be effective in a reasonable time basis. A Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) is a system that consists of miscellaneous modules where each of them needs its consideration regarding safety. In other words, a UTM is the state-of-the-art system that demand a high quality of services and specialization, if we need to consider them reliable.