Drones Are Everywhere. Hackers Are, Too. UNO is Working to Keep Nebraska’s UAVs Safe

Drones are transforming how crops are monitored, bridges are inspected, and emergencies are managed.

As their responsibilities grow, a University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T) team is working to protect them from cyberattacks.

➡️ What’s new: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded IS&T Assistant Professor Peng Jiang, Ph.D., a two-year grant to develop AI-driven methods that protect drones from cyberattacks such as GPS spoofing, a growing threat that can cause unmanned aerial vehicles – also known as UAVs or drones – to lose direction or crash.

💡 Why it matters: Drones are quickly becoming essential tools in agriculture, emergency response, and monitoring ecosystems and infrastructure. UNO’s research aims to make UAVs safer and more trustworthy.

📊 By the numbers: According to a 2023 FAA Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Survey report:

• More than 42 million drone flights occur annually in the U.S.

• Nebraskans recorded an estimated 1.1 million non-recreational drone flights in 2023, reflecting the widespread use of drones of drones for public and commercial use.

• Emergency response agencies conducted nearly 59,000 drone missions nationwide in one year.

• About one-third of professional drone operators fly across state lines.

🔎 Zoom in: Jiang’s project, MUSE: Multi-Modal Security Enhancement for Cyber-Resilient UAV Operation, focuses on creating a GPS-independent navigation system for drones.

• Instead of relying on a single signal that can be spoofed, the system fuses data from multiple sensors — such as cameras, LiDAR, and motion sensors — allowing drones to navigate securely even in adversarial conditions.

• The research will be tested using UNO’s new Multi-Modal AI-enabled UAV Research (MM-AIR) testbed, a platform designed for advanced experimentation in drone security and autonomy.

• The project also provides hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students across cybersecurity, computer science, aviation, and artificial intelligence.

🎤 What they’re saying:

• Peng Jiang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor: Drones are being adopted at an incredible pace across industries, and that rapid growth brings real urgency. As UAVs become more embedded in everyday operations, especially in Nebraska agriculture, protecting them from cyberattacks like GPS spoofing is essential. What excites me most about this work is that our research has the potential to directly improve safety, reliability, and trust in the drone systems Nebraskans increasingly depend on.”

• Robin Gandhi, Ph.D., UNO IS&T Associate Dean for Research, Technology, and Facilities: “This project is a strong example of how UNO is tackling tomorrow’s challenges by building solutions today. By bringing together cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and drone aviation, this research reflects where technology and workforce demand are heading. Just as important, undergraduate and graduate students are deeply involved, gaining meaningful, hands-on experience in skills that will be in high demand as autonomous systems and cyber-physical security continue to converge.”

⚡ What’s next: The project began Oct. 1, 2025, with deployment of the MM-AIR testbed and initial student training planned for Spring 2026. Findings will be shared with UNO and Nebraska STEM outreach programs in Summer 2026.

📌 Award info:

• Funding: $175,000

• Funder: National Science Foundation, Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) Program

• Award number: 2451471

• Project duration: 2025–2027