Security Viewpoint and Resilient Performance in the Urban Air Mobility Operation

Abstract

The rapid development of urban air mobility (UAM) technologies and their integration into the urban environment brings new security challenges. Threats to aviation and mobility systems continue to evolve. The urban space places additional vulnerabilities to which UAM stakeholders strive to enhance and develop UAM security capabilities. Ensuring the security of UAM operations requires a holistic and integrated approach that considers the complex interdependencies between various stakeholders and components of the UAM ecosystem. This article explores security viewpoints and resilient performance in UAM operations using enterprise architecture modeling methodology through the unified architecture framework (UAF). The ecosystem approach recognizes that UAM operations involve a multitude of actors, including UAM designers, operators, service providers, airspace managers, and regulators. Each actor has a unique role and perspective on security, and their actions and decisions can significantly impact the overall security and resilience of the UAM operation. The approach includes a security viewpoint integrating different actors to identify and assess security risks, strategies to mitigate them, and a discussion about resilient performance in the UAM ecosystem. The security viewpoint considers technical and nontechnical security aspects, including human factors, organizational culture, and cybersecurity frameworks. Moreover, a security state diagram for UAF is proposed, supporting the discussion of how different resilient scenarios can avoid undesirable security states. The results include views defining risk and capability taxonomies, security structure, security states, and ground security processes, showing how the UAM enterprise operates to achieve resilient performance.