Can Cryptography Secure Next Generation Air Traffic Surveillance?

The proposed next-generation air traffic control system depends crucially on a surveillance technology called ADS-B. By 2020, nearly all aircraft flying through U.S. airspace must carry ADS-B transponders to continuously transmit their precise real-time location and velocity to ground-based air traffic control and to other en route aircraft. Surprisingly, the ADS-B protocol has no built-in security mechanisms, which renders ADS-B systems vulnerable to a wide range of malicious attacks. Herein, we address the question “can cryptography secure ADS-B?”— in other words, is there a practical and effective cryptographic solution that can be retrofit to the existing ADS-B system and enhance the security of this critical aviation technology?