A Lightweight Privacy Preserving Authentication Framework for Secure UAV Communication in IoD Networks
Sharon Jenifer Albert, K. Gunaseelan · International Journal of Communication Systems · 2025
ABSTRACT In modern Internet‐of‐Drone (IoD) environments, secure communication between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and user equipment is essential to protect data privacy and prevent unauthorized access. This paper presents a lightweight three‐factor authentication scheme for UAVs using ElGamal‐based elliptical curve cryptography (ECC‐ElGamal) encryption and physical layer security (PLS). The scheme integrates the device's media access control (MAC) address, user ID, and password for enhanced authentication. Using the MAC address as a security parameter strengthens device‐specific authentication and reduces the risk of impersonation and unauthorized access. To prevent replay attacks and ensure message freshness, timestamps are included in the authentication process. ECC‐ElGamal encryption enables secure communication through session key generation and hash functions, optimizing security and efficiency. Additionally, the scheme employs PLS to protect against eavesdropping and provide location‐based authentication. A novel secret key () is generated using channel state information (CSI) and is used to encrypt the device's MAC address, ensuring privacy‐preserving authentication. The proposed scheme is designed to minimize computational and communication costs, making it suitable for resource‐constrained UAVs in real‐time IoD environments. Security evaluations and comparative analysis show that the scheme effectively resists known attacks while maintaining robust protection and system efficiency.