International Journal of Wireless and Ad Hoc Communication IJWAC 2692-4056 10.54216/IJWAC https://www.americaspg.com/journals/show/2440 2019 2019 Computer Science and Intelligent Systems Research Center, Blacksburg 24060, Virginia, USA Ahmed Mohamed Zaki Computer Science Department, Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt Abdelaziz A. Abdelhamid School of ICT, Faculty of Engineering, Design and Information & Communications Technology (EDICT), Bahrain Polytechnic, PO Box 33349, Isa Town, Bahrain Abdelhameed Ibrahim Faculty of Artificial Intelligence, Delta University for Science and Technology, Mansoura 35712, Egypt; Department of Communications and Electronics, Delta Higher Institute of Engineering and Technology, Mansoura, 35111, Egypt Marwa M. Eid Department of Communications and Electronics, Delta Higher Institute of Engineering and Technology, Mansoura, 35111, Egypt El-Sayed M. El El-Kenawy This study examines the importance of cybersecurity in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) due to the increasing technological advancements and subsequent vulnerabilities in these aerial systems. The rapid integration of UAVs across various sectors has led to a pervasive threat of cyber attacks, which necessitates comprehensive defenses to mitigate potential risks. This research outlines the complex landscape of UAV cybersecurity challenges through an in-depth analysis of attack scenarios and data features within the ECU-IoFT dataset. Using the XGBoost algorithm’s robustness, this study presents a proactive approach to classifying and mitigating cyber threats targeting UAV systems. Our findings demonstrate that XGBoost is effective at identifying different attack vectors, making it a possible key defense mechanism. The insights from this study not only highlight the changing nature of UAV cybersecurity but also provide practical steps for strengthening these aerial systems against imminent cyber threats to ensure their safe and resilient operation across multiple domains. 2024 2024 51 55 10.54216/IJWAC.080106 https://www.americaspg.com/articleinfo/20/show/2440