Cyber Risk Loss Modeling for Drone Delivery Systems

Background

Commercial drone delivery systems are increasingly used, particularly in the US and in China, with over 2000 deliveries occurring in 2022. Drone delivery systems have many advantages over conventional delivery systems, including lower costs, faster deliveries, and increased energy efficiency. However, drone delivery systems can lead to increased cyber risk exposure of deployed drone networks, leading to cyberattacks including hijacking and signal disruption. These cyberattacks have the potential to result in substantial financial losses from costly property damages, but it is difficult to accurately estimate the price of these risks due to limited relevant historical loss data.

Invention Description

Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a new structural model to evaluate cyber risk loss distributions in drone delivery systems. This model focuses on the implications of network configurations and cybersecurity measures. Through the use of probabilistic graph theory and bond percolation, this model can provide a comprehensive analysis of how different drone operation scales and network models impact cyber risk.

Potential Applications:

• Risk assessment tools for drone delivery service providers
• Insurance product development for commercial drone operations
• Cybersecurity solution planning for drone networks

Benefits and Advantages:

• Improved risk management – provides greater capabilities for risk estimation and insurance pricing for drone operations
• Robust – provides insights into the impact of network configurations on risk levels
• Better quantification of cyber risk – assesses aggregate loss distributions in drone delivery networks

Related Publication: Cyber risk loss distribution for various scale drone delivery systems