Secured Communication Schemes for UAVs in 5G: CRYSTALS-Kyber and IDS

2025-01-31

AI Summary

To address dual threats of quantum attacks and real-time intrusions against resource-constrained UAVs communicating with ground stations in 5G networks, this paper proposes a lightweight quantum-safe communication architecture. Methodologically, it pioneers the integration of the CRYSTALS-Kyber post-quantum key encapsulation mechanism with an AES+ECC hybrid encryption scheme into the 5G protocol stack, alongside an XGBoost-driven lightweight AI-based intrusion detection system (AI-IDS). Key contributions include: (1) Kyber enabling low-overhead, quantum-resistant key agreement; (2) the edge-deployable AI-IDS achieving 97.33% detection accuracy and 0.94 AUC—outperforming conventional IDS models; and (3) comprehensive validation on a dual-environment testbed (VPN/5G), demonstrating robust security, real-time responsiveness, and high resource efficiency under stringent UAV constraints.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Quantum Machine Learning
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Safety, Robustness & Trustworthiness
• Humans and AI: Voting

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Applied ML and AI for Web-based mobile applications
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems

Abstract

This paper introduces a secure communication architecture for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and ground stations in 5G networks, addressing critical challenges in network security. The proposed solution integrates the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and CRYSTALS-Kyber for key encapsulation, offering a hybrid cryptographic approach. By incorporating CRYSTALS-Kyber, the framework mitigates vulnerabilities in ECC against quantum attacks, positioning it as a quantum-resistant alternative. The architecture is based on a server-client model, with UAVs functioning as clients and the ground station acting as the server. The system was rigorously evaluated in both VPN and 5G environments. Experimental results confirm that CRYSTALS-Kyber delivers strong protection against quantum threats with minimal performance overhead, making it highly suitable for UAVs with resource constraints. Moreover, the proposed architecture integrates an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to further enhance security. In performance evaluations, the IDS demonstrated strong results across multiple models with XGBoost, particularly in more demanding scenarios, outperforming other models with an accuracy of 97.33% and an AUC of 0.94. These findings underscore the potential of combining quantum-resistant encryption mechanisms with AI-driven IDS to create a robust, scalable, and secure communication framework for UAV networks, particularly within the high-performance requirements of 5G environments.

Problem

• 5G Network Security
• Quantum Attack Resistance
• Intrusion Detection

Innovation

• Quantum-resistant Encryption
• AI-based Intrusion Detection
• 5G Secure Communication