ECE 8803: Cybersecurity of Drones

Instructional Team

Saman Zonouz
Saman Zonouz
Creator, Instructor
Yoonsang Lee
Yoonsang Lee
Head TA

Overview

Cybersecurity of Drones is an in-depth exploration of security and privacy challenges in cyber-physical systems (CPS), with a primary focus on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This course equips learners with the foundational knowledge and hands-on skills necessary to analyze, attack, and defend drone systems in real-world scenarios. You will gain expertise in drone architecture, embedded systems security, adversarial machine learning, and CPS resilience, equipping you to understand and mitigate vulnerabilities in UAV operations. Through lectures, research paper discussions, and hands-on labs, you will engage with cutting-edge cybersecurity techniques, including sensor spoofing, actuator manipulation, malware analysis and defensive mechanisms tailored for autonomous aerial systems. By the end of the course, you will not only have a deep technical understanding of drone cybersecurity but also the ability to design resilient and secure UAV architectures, in preparation for careers in cyber, physical security, embedded systems, and critical infrastructure protection.

Course Goals

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  1. Analyze the Security Architecture of Drone Systems: Evaluate the components and communication protocols of UAVs to identify potential cyber and physical vulnerabilities.
  2. Demonstrate Attack Techniques Against Cyber-Physical Drone Systems: Implement and execute cyber-attacks, such as sensor spoofing, firmware exploitation, and control signal interception, to understand adversarial tactics and system weaknesses.
  3. Design and Implement Security Mechanisms for UAVs: Develop and test secure architectures, intrusion detection systems, and cryptographic protections to enhance the resilience of drone operations.
  4. Critically Evaluate Research in Drone Cybersecurity: Read, present, and critique cutting-edge research papers, articulating the strengths, weaknesses, and future research directions in UAV security.
  5. Apply Cyber-Physical Security Principles to Real-World UAV Applications: Utilize industry-standard tools and methodologies to assess and improve the security posture of autonomous aerial systems, preparing for roles in critical infrastructure protection, defense, and cybersecurity research.

For the Cybersecurity of Drones course, there is no single required textbook, but the following three books are recommended as supplementary reading materials:

  • Lee, Edward Ashford, and Sanjit Arunkumar Seshia. Introduction to embedded systems: A cyber-physical systems approach. MIT press, 2017.
  • Nise, Norman S. Control systems engineering. John Wiley & Sons, 2020.
  • Sikorski, Michael, and Andrew Honig. Practical malware analysis: the hands-on guide to dissecting malicious software. no starch press, 2012.

Sample Syllabus

Summer 2026 syllabus (PDF)

Note: Sample syllabi are provided for informational purposes only. For the most up-to-date information, consult the official course documentation.

Before Taking This Class...

Suggested Background Knowledge
  • Basic Programming Proficiency (C/C++): Students should have experience writing and debugging low-level code in C or C++, as drone systems often rely on embedded software and firmware.
  • Computer Architecture and Embedded Systems: Understanding of microcontrollers, real-time operating systems (RTOS), and assembly programming is essential for analyzing drone firmware and performing security assessments.
  • Fundamentals of Cybersecurity: Prior coursework or experience in network security, cryptography, and ethical hacking will help students grasp UAV-specific cyber threats and defense strategies.
  • Control Systems and Signal Processing (Recommended but not required): Knowledge of linear systems, feedback control, and sensor-actuator dynamics is beneficial for understanding drone flight control and cyber-physical attacks.
  • Operating Systems and Reverse Engineering (Recommended but not required): Familiarity with Linux, system calls, and binary analysis tools will assist in debugging and securing UAV firmware and operating environments.
Technical Requirements and Software

Students need to have access to a laptop that will be utilized to run the tools and software provided throughout the course for the assignments.

Academic Integrity

All Georgia Tech students are expected to uphold the Georgia Tech Academic Honor Code. This course may impose additional academic integrity stipulations; consult the official course documentation for more information.