Secure and Energy-Aware Cryptographic Framework for IoT-Enabled UAV Systems
Zhaxygulova D. Iavich M. Rakhmetullina S. Alipbayev K.
November 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Symmetry
2025#17Issue 11
The rapid convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), quantum computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) has amplified the urgency for lightweight yet resilient data protection mechanisms, particularly within unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Traditional cryptographic approaches, while mathematically secure, often fail to reconcile the competing requirements of robustness, computational efficiency, and energy sustainability when deployed on resource-constrained platforms such as drones. To address this gap, this paper proposes a novel hybrid lightweight cryptographic model that strategically integrates symmetric and asymmetric primitives in a dual-layer design. The model leverages the efficiency of lightweight authenticated encryption for high-throughput data protection, while incorporating elliptic-curve and lattice-based key exchange mechanisms to ensure both forward secrecy and post-quantum resilience. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that the proposed scheme achieves superior performance compared to conventional methods, offering reduced computational overhead, lower energy consumption, and enhanced resistance to cyber threats. Crucially, the model maintains high levels of confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity while extending operational endurance, making it particularly well-suited for next-generation UAV operating within the broader IoT ecosystem.
data integrity , energy-efficient encryption , hybrid encryption , IoT security , lightweight cryptographic algorithms , UAV security
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International School of Engineering, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Oskemen, 070000, Kazakhstan
School of Technologies, Caucasus University, Tbilisi, 0102, Georgia
School of Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Oskemen, 070000, Kazakhstan
Department of Aerospace and Electronic Engineering, Almaty University of Power Engineering and Telecommunications Named after G. Daukeyev, Almaty, 050013, Kazakhstan
International School of Engineering
School of Technologies
School of Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence
Department of Aerospace and Electronic Engineering
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