First Responder UAS Triple Challenge 3.3: Shields Up! Securing UAS Navigation and Control

Improve security on UAS control channels and navigation functions

Other Funding
  • Program Type
    Other Funding
  • Funding Award
    $200,000

Join us for this exciting drone (aka unmanned aircraft system or UAS) prize competition using your ingenuity and design expertise to improve security on UAS control channels and navigation functions by creating a concept for a drone prototype that demonstrates threats and their corresponding countermeasures in a working drone. The result of the First Responder UAS Triple Challenge 3.3 “Shields Up” will support the public safety community and its stakeholders.

The purpose of the Shields Up Challenge is to explore and advance the cybersecurity of UAS technology to support first responders in their missions. The use of UAS expands public safety’s ability to gather critical data, whether they be from video, cameras, sensors, or peripherals, and allows them to obtain this information more quickly and efficiently than deploying boots-on-the-ground.

UAS Triple Challenge 3.3 Launch Webinar

NIST PSCR established the Innovation Accelerator to spearhead the research that supports the development and deployment of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). PSCR’s Open Innovation team engages public safety entities, government, academia, and industry to identify innovation opportunities and foster technology advancements for public safety communications through prize competitions and challenges.

Project Objectives

The purpose of the Shields Up Challenge is to explore and advance the cybersecurity of UAS technology to support first responders in their missions. The use of UAS expands public safety’s ability to gather critical data, whether they be from video, cameras, sensors, or peripherals, and allows them to obtain this information more quickly and efficiently than deploying boots-on-the-ground.

Public safety uses a myriad of solutions for their UAS needs, including commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) UAS and open-source/do-it-yourself (DIY) hardware and software. The term UAS applies to many types of aircraft that are being incorporated into public safety missions:

  • Crime scene processing
  • Cross-agency aid
  • Damage assessment (man-made or natural event)
  • Disaster response
  • Fire or explosives
  • Infrastructure inspections
  • Major traffic accident investigations
  • Search and rescue missions
  • Special events or public safety assessments
  • Tactical deployment
  • Terrorism response

    • As UAS technology becomes more pervasive in the public safety mission, it will become crucial to protect these assets from disruptions in navigation and control.

    The public safety use case for UAS is multifaceted. However, all UAS must maintain controlled flight and successful navigation at their core in order to complete their missions. A UAS that flies to the wrong location or is delayed in reaching a time-crucial objective is as good as a UAS that has not taken flight. A UAS that is hijacked due to a malicious attacker not only jeopardizes public safety missions, it also compromises responder assets. In both of these cases, the compromised UAS causes mission failure.

    Contestants in this Challenge are required to frame their threats and countermeasures concerning the disruption and preservation of UAS navigation and control to prevent mission failure:

  • UAS Navigation - The ability of the UAS to successfully move between two points within 3D (three dimensional) airspace.
  • UAS Control - The ability for a pilot-controlled UAS to successfully maintain flight control within a 3D airspace.

    • With the innovative solutions discovered through this Challenge, PSCR seeks to improve UAS cybersecurity for state and local first responders as they deploy UAS for law enforcement, firefighters, and other emergency services. To accomplish this, we seek to:

  • Identify real-world threats to UAS flight, navigation, and control technologies
  • Identify countermeasures for these threats
  • Demonstrate the threat and countermeasures on a functional UAS.

    • Contestants are required to demonstrate attacks on open-source software for UAS navigation and/or control. Contestants are encouraged to use innovation and creativity when designing their countermeasures. Possible solutions include but are not limited to:

  • Updates and/or modifications to existing open source software
  • Newly developed software
  • Newly developed hardware
  • Secure UAS configuration guidance.

    • Future Phases

    Check out an overview of each competition phase below - complete rules for each phase will be released as the competition progresses.

    Documents

    Let’s Get Started.

    To apply or join the program, please submit an application.