Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What cryptographic measures protect the communication between a drone operator and its drone?
The drone scenario requires encryption (confidentiality of commands/footage), authentication (prevent unauthorized control), integrity (prevent command modification), and non-repudiation (logging who issued commands).
The drone communication faces all classic attacks:
| Threat | Attack | Countermeasure |
|---|---|---|
| Eavesdropping on video feed | Eavesdropping | Encryption |
| Sending fake commands | Masquerade | Authentication protocol (C-R) |
| Modifying flight commands | Modifying | MAC or digital signature |
| Replaying old commands | Replay | Sequence numbers / timestamps |
| Blocking commands | Delete | Sequence numbers + timeout |
| Denying drone usage | Non-repudiation | Digital signatures on commands |
Key takeaway: Real-world systems need all 4 principles combined plus application-level measures. No single cryptographic mechanism is sufficient — security is always a composition of multiple protections.