As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) increasingly become integral to surveillance and reconnaissance (S&R) operations, their susceptibility to cyber threats poses significant risks to operational integrity. The current cybersecurity protocols often fail to address UAV operations’ unique vulnerabilities and challenges in S&R contexts, highlighting a gap in specialized cybersecurity strategies. This research adapts the MITRE ATTACK framework to enhance cybersecurity approaches, safeguarding UAVs against evolving cyber threats. This thesis maps existing vulnerabilities against comprehensive tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) through a scenario-based analysis. Hypothetical and practical S&R operation case studies demonstrate the applicability of proposed cybersecurity strategies, validating their effectiveness in mitigating specific threats and the need for more specified cybersecurity protocols. The findings advocate for continuous innovation and vigilance in UAV cybersecurity, contributing to the protection of UAVs in S&R missions and emphasizing the dynamic nature of cybersecurity challenges in UAV operations.

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Most Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana are notparticularly anxious about the consequences of inadequacy or lack of anyform of vulnerability management operation in their normal businesspractices. This case study research explores how a local Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) in Ghana and its local client-base can manage vulnerabilitieswith a targeted patch management practise integrated into their operations.To answer the research question “How can a SME local Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) in Accra, Ghana, assist their local customer base to integrateeffective cybersecurity vulnerability management into their operations?“,This case study comprised the Subject Matter Expert of one local ISP as well as4 other technical Subject Matter Experts of the ISP’s clients about their patchmanagement operations. This case study research revealed that most SMEs donot consider vulnerability management as a key concern in the operation oftheir organisation and therefore, proposes a way to highlight the importanceof vulnerability management whiles doing so at a cost-effective manner. Theimplications of targeted cybersecurity patch management for the local ISP andtheir client-base is also addressed by this thesis research.

Cyber attacks can target any nodes of the space infrastructure, and while these attacks are called non-violent, there is a credible capability to use cyber attacks to cause direct or indirect physical damage, injury or death. However, the vulnerability of satellites and other space assets to cyber attack is often overlooked, which is a significant failing given society's substantial and ever increasing reliance on satellite technologies. Through a policy analysis, this dissertation assess the set of political provisions provided by the European Union to address the cyber security issue of the space infrastructure. Such study aims at exploring the geopolitical consequences linked to space cyber security risks, and at assessing the political preparedness of the European Union to address these challenges. The perspective of transatlantic cooperation to further support both American and European effort to tackle this security risk is also addressed. The overarching value of the study is to contribute to future European cyber security for space and transatlantic debates by providing useful perspectives and key takeaways on these two domains. Ultimately, he existing set of policies are not sufficient to address the cyber security issue in Outer Space, a unified approach by the European Union and the United...