Securely Fusing Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Data for Maritime Domain Awareness

This research project aims to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA) by securely integrating automatic identification system (AIS) data with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery. The project seeks to improve the detection and classification of vessels, reducing reliance on manual intervention. By addressing security vulnerabilities in AIS and limitations in SAR data, the research will contribute to more reliable, automated monitoring of maritime activity. 

A significant challenge in MDA is ensuring accurate vessel detection and classification. AIS, a cooperative tracking system, provides frequent location updates but is vulnerable to falsification and non-compliance. Conversely, SAR is a non-cooperative system capable of detecting ships regardless of their willingness to be tracked. However, SAR has drawbacks, including low image resolution and infrequent updates. The inability to securely and effectively fuse these two data sources hampers the development of robust MDA systems. 

This project aims to address these challenges by designing a system that systematically analyses security threats to SAR/AIS fusion, mitigating potential attacks and misclassifications. The system will implement attacker-aware ship classification, assigning confidence scores to detections and autonomously determining when additional data is required. Additionally, novel techniques such as radio frequency (RF) transmitter fingerprinting and location verification methods will be developed to authenticate AIS signals and verify their claimed positions, thereby strengthening the integrity of vessel tracking data. 

The research will have far-reaching implications for maritime security, particularly in combating illegal activities such as smuggling, piracy, and unregulated fishing. By enhancing confidence in MDA systems, the project will provide governments, law enforcement agencies, and maritime organisations with more reliable tools for monitoring maritime activity. This work builds on the research team’s expertise in security analysis and RF verification, ensuring that the solutions developed are both technically robust and practically implementable.