Drones

Cybersecurity for drones: Skygrid and SparkCognition

SparkCognition is a leading industrial artificial intelligence company. SkyGrid, a Boeing company, SparkCognition, is an airspace management system. Together, the two have successfully deployed an AI-based onboard system that provides cybersecurity for drones.

As drones become an increasingly important tool in key industries and infrastructure, security concerns have also become more important. Like any computer that transmits sensitive data, drones must be protected from cyberattacks. However, drones present unique challenges.

The DeepArmor product is designed to address these challenges and protect drones from zero-day attacks – attacks that exploit a security vulnerability before developers realize it exists – while in flight. “Equipped with the DeepArmor® cybersecurity product from SparkCognition, SkyGrid is the first airspace management system that enables drone protection powered by AI. This approach offers more airspace security than traditional anti-malware, which is based on the signature of known threats, ”said a press release.

“In the near future, we will essentially have a network of flying computers in the sky, and just like the computers we use today, drones can be hacked if not properly secured,” said Amir Husain, CEO and founder of SparkCognition and SkyGrid. “In this emerging environment, traditional anti-malware technology is not sufficient to detect these never-before-seen attacks. SkyGrid is taking a new, intelligent approach by using AI to more accurately detect and prevent cyber attacks on drones, payloads or ground stations. “

“The DeepArmor product is integrated with the SkyGrid airspace management system AerialOS ™ and can be deployed directly on drone hardware to function even when network connectivity is impaired or not available,” the press release said. “AI protection protects drones from zero-day attacks by using models that are trained on the DNA of malicious files rather than relying on a signature database.”

“We leveraged cutting-edge AI research and technology to develop the DeepArmor product, which protects endpoints from 99.9% of the most never-seen-before threats,” said Sridhar Sudarsan, chief technology officer, SparkCognition. “Furthermore, the uniqueness of the product lies in its ability to provide endpoint protection in the most space-consuming areas with minimal interference – all with varying degrees of connectivity. This is the true high-level security differentiator that SkyGrid customers will see value in. “

Miriam McNabb is editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a marketplace for professional drone services, and a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has written over 3,000 articles focusing on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam graduated from the University of Chicago and has over 20 years experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For advice or writing on the drone industry, email Miriam.

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