A review of cyber threats and defence approaches in emergency management

Emergency planners, first responders and relief workers increasingly rely on computational and communication systems that support all aspects of emergency management, from mitigation and preparedness to response and recovery. Failure of these systems, whether accidental or because of malicious action, can have severe implications for emergency management. Accidental failures have been extensively documented in the past and significant effort has been put into the development and introduction of more resilient technologies. At the same time researchers have been raising concerns about the potential of cyber attacks to cause physical disasters or to maximise the impact of one by intentionally impeding the work of the emergency services. Here, we provide a review of current research on the cyber threats to communication, sensing, information management and vehicular technologies used in emergency management. We emphasise on open issues for research, which are the cyber threats that have the potential to affect emergency management severely and for which solutions have not yet been proposed in the literature

Aerial Base Station Deployment for Post-Disaster Public Safety Applications

Earthquakes and floods are constant threats to most of the countries in the world. After such catastrophes, a rapid response is needed, which includes communications not only for first responders but also for local civilians. Even though there are technologies and specialized personnel for rapid deployment, it is common that external factors will hinder the arrival of help while communication requirements are urgently required. Such communication technologies would aid tasks regarding organization and information dissemination from authorities to the civilians and vice-versa. This necessity is due to protocols and applications to allocate the number of emergency resources per location and to locate missing people. In this thesis, we investigate the deployment problem of Mobile Aerial Base Stations (MABS). Our main objective is to ensure periodic wireless communication for geographically spread User Equipment (UE) based on LTE technology. First, we establish a precedent of emergency situations where MABS would be useful. We also provide an introduction to the study and work conducted in this thesis. Second, we provide a literature review of existing solutions was made to determine the advantages and disadvantages of certain technologies regarding the described necessity. Third, we determine how MABS, such as gliders or light tactical balloons that are assumed to be moving at an average speed of 50 km/h, will be deployed. These MABS would visit different cluster centroids determined by an Affinity Propagation Clustering algorithm. Additionally, a combination of graph theory and Genetic Algorithm (GA) is implemented through mutators and fitness functions to obtain best flyable paths through an evolution pool of 100. Additionally, Poisson, Normal, and Uniform distributions are utilized to determine the amount of Base Stations and UEs. Then, for every distribution combination, a set of simulations is conducted to obtain the best flyable paths. Serviced UE performance indicators of algorithm efficiency are analyzed to determine whether the applied algorithm is effective in providing a solution to the presented problem. Finally, in Chapter 5, we conclude our work by supporting that the proposed model would suffice the needs of mobile users given the proposed emergency scenario. Adviser: Yi Qia

Space enabled smart Africa (SESA)

Urbanization in Africa is growing at a rapid pace and so is the population growth. Cities in Africa are struggling to cope with the demand that urban migration brings. For example, Africa has over 60% of her population located in the urban areas. These urban locations are sprawling slums due to the massive influx of people and inadequate housing systems. The United Nations, through the Sustainable Development Goals called for a sustainable cities and communities. This project is focus on using the smart city approach to tackle these urbanization issues. With the advancement in satellite application systems, smart cities can be enabled through space technology to address these urbanization and other issues affecting the African region. Integrating space technology, such as communication, Earth observation, and satellite aided position timing & navigation application systems and small satellite technology, to the smart city paradigm could provide sustainable ways in which problems like digital division, over population, natural disaster, etc. could be managed and eradicated

A STUDY OF SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS

Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) is best defined as delivering meaningful amounts of energy without moving or employing mass between the transmitter and receiver. The current modus operandi for the Department of Defense (DoD) requires the delivery of energy by physical transport of fossil fuels or its derivatives, which is burdensome, costly, and dangerous in the face of threats. SBSP is known to be technically possible, with varying degrees of success, from ground-based wireless power transmission demonstrations; integrated solar collection, conversion, and transmission systems development; and microwave conversion and rectifying efficiency studies, but a full end-to-end SBSP system has yet to be realized. This thesis aims to explore SBSP's utility in DoD operations at the tactical edge, serving the warfighters at forward operating bases as well as expeditionary forces where power infrastructure is problematic or extant. A collection of SBSP research, studies, and articles was pored over to identify the major stakeholders for such a system, analyze their requirements, and identify a valid reference architecture to maximize the SBSP solution space. This thesis's conclusive results can serve as a baseline for further research in this field. The international community is already aggressively underway in SBSP system design, and the results herein highlight the need for the DoD to act as a leader in this space decisively and quickly.Civilian, Department of the NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Space Systems: Emerging Technologies and Operations

SPACE SYSTEMS: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND OPERATIONS is our seventh textbook in a series covering the world of UASs / CUAS/ UUVs. Other textbooks in our series are Drone Delivery of CBNRECy – DEW Weapons: Emerging Threats of Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disruption (WMDD); Disruptive Technologies with applications in Airline, Marine, Defense Industries; Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land; Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technologies and Operations; Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain: Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 2nd edition; and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Cyber Domain Protecting USA\u27s Advanced Air Assets, 1st edition. Our previous six titles have received considerable global recognition in the field. (Nichols & Carter, 2022) (Nichols et al., 2021) (Nichols R. K. et al., 2020) (Nichols R. et al., 2020) (Nichols R. et al., 2019) (Nichols R. K., 2018) Our seventh title takes on a new purview of Space. Let\u27s think of Space as divided into four regions. These are Planets, solar systems, the great dark void (which fall into the purview of astronomers and astrophysics), and the Dreamer Region. The earth, from a measurement standpoint, is the baseline of Space. It is the purview of geographers, engineers, scientists, politicians, and romantics. Flying high above the earth are Satellites. Military and commercial organizations govern their purview. The lowest altitude at which air resistance is low enough to permit a single complete, unpowered orbit is approximately 80 miles (125 km) above the earth\u27s surface. Normal Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite launches range between 99 miles (160 km) to 155 miles (250 km). Satellites in higher orbits experience less drag and can remain in Space longer in service. Geosynchronous orbit is around 22,000 miles (35,000 km). However, orbits can be even higher. UASs (Drones) have a maximum altitude of about 33,000 ft (10 km) because rotating rotors become physically limiting. (Nichols R. et al., 2019) Recreational drones fly at or below 400 ft in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, E) and are permitted with prior authorization by using a LAANC or DroneZone. Recreational drones are permitted to fly at or below 400 ft in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. (FAA, 2022) However, between 400 ft and 33,000 ft is in the purview of DREAMERS. In the DREAMERS region, Space has its most interesting technological emergence. We see emerging technologies and operations that may have profound effects on humanity. This is the mission our book addresses. We look at the Dreamer Region from three perspectives:1) a Military view where intelligence, jamming, spoofing, advanced materials, and hypersonics are in play; 2) the Operational Dreamer Region; whichincludes Space-based platform vulnerabilities, trash, disaster recovery management, A.I., manufacturing, and extended reality; and 3) the Humanitarian Use of Space technologies; which includes precision agriculture wildlife tracking, fire risk zone identification, and improving the global food supply and cattle management. Here’s our book’s breakdown: SECTION 1 C4ISR and Emerging Space Technologies. C4ISR stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. Four chapters address the military: Current State of Space Operations; Satellite Killers and Hypersonic Drones; Space Electronic Warfare, Jamming, Spoofing, and ECD; and the challenges of Manufacturing in Space. SECTION 2: Space Challenges and Operations covers in five chapters a wide purview of challenges that result from operations in Space, such as Exploration of Key Infrastructure Vulnerabilities from Space-Based Platforms; Trash Collection and Tracking in Space; Leveraging Space for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; Bio-threats to Agriculture and Solutions From Space; and rounding out the lineup is a chapter on Modelling, Simulation, and Extended Reality. SECTION 3: Humanitarian Use of Space Technologies is our DREAMERS section. It introduces effective use of Drones and Precision Agriculture; and Civilian Use of Space for Environmental, Wildlife Tracking, and Fire Risk Zone Identification. SECTION 3 is our Hope for Humanity and Positive Global Change. Just think if the technologies we discuss, when put into responsible hands, could increase food production by 1-2%. How many more millions of families could have food on their tables? State-of-the-Art research by a team of fifteen SMEs is incorporated into our book. We trust you will enjoy reading it as much as we have in its writing. There is hope for the future.https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1047/thumbnail.jp

Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain

Unmanned Aircraft Systems are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure. The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. This textbook will fully immerse and engage the reader / student in the cyber-security considerations of this rapidly emerging technology that we know as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The first edition topics covered National Airspace (NAS) policy issues, information security (INFOSEC), UAS vulnerabilities in key systems (Sense and Avoid / SCADA), navigation and collision avoidance systems, stealth design, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms; weapons systems security; electronic warfare considerations; data-links, jamming, operational vulnerabilities and still-emerging political scenarios that affect US military / commercial decisions. This second edition discusses state-of-the-art technology issues facing US UAS designers. It focuses on counter unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) – especially research designed to mitigate and terminate threats by SWARMS. Topics include high-altitude platforms (HAPS) for wireless communications; C-UAS and large scale threats; acoustic countermeasures against SWARMS and building an Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) acoustic library; updates to the legal / regulatory landscape; UAS proliferation along the Chinese New Silk Road Sea / Land routes; and ethics in this new age of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence (AI).https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1027/thumbnail.jp

Economically sustainable public security and emergency network exploiting a broadband communications satellite

The research contributes to work in Rapid Deployment of a National Public Security and Emergency Communications Network using Communication Satellite Broadband. Although studies in Public Security Communication networks have examined the use of communications satellite as an integral part of the Communication Infrastructure, there has not been an in-depth design analysis of an optimized regional broadband-based communication satellite in relation to the envisaged service coverage area, with little or no terrestrial last-mile telecommunications infrastructure for delivery of satellite solutions, applications and services. As such, the research provides a case study of a Nigerian Public Safety Security Communications Pilot project deployed in regions of the African continent with inadequate terrestrial last mile infrastructure and thus requiring a robust regional Communications Satellite complemented with variants of terrestrial wireless technologies to bridge the digital hiatus as a short and medium term measure apart from other strategic needs. The research not only addresses the pivotal role of a secured integrated communications Public safety network for security agencies and emergency service organizations with its potential to foster efficient information symmetry amongst their operations including during emergency and crisis management in a timely manner but demonstrates a working model of how analogue spectrum meant for Push-to-Talk (PTT) services can be re-farmed and digitalized as a “dedicated” broadband-based public communications system. The network’s sustainability can be secured by using excess capacity for the strategic commercial telecommunication needs of the state and its citizens. Utilization of scarce spectrum has been deployed for Nigeria’s Cashless policy pilot project for financial and digital inclusion. This effectively drives the universal access goals, without exclusivity, in a continent, which still remains the least wired in the world