Networking Platform Secures Resilient Drone Communications
The technology uses encrypted multi-pathing to maintain connectivity in challenging or jammed signal environments.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Data Centers
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ZeroTier is deploying its software-defined networking platform to secure communication links for drone and counter-UAS operators. The technology uses encrypted, multi-path connections designed to maintain connectivity in challenging signal environments.
Why it matters
As drone operations expand in complex environments, secure and resilient communication is essential to prevent signal loss or jamming. This platform addresses the connectivity demands of autonomous systems as they become increasingly common in defense and critical infrastructure.
The system holds a 140-level NIST security certification, providing a benchmark for encrypted, authenticated communications. It supports multi-pathing, which shifts traffic dynamically when a connection path is lost or compromised.
The players
ZeroTier
A software-defined networking company operating globally with offices in San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, Portland, London, The Netherlands, and Germany.
Andrew Gault
The current CEO of ZeroTier who assumed the role in 2024.
Robert Stevenson
A member of the ZeroTier leadership team who joined the company in 2024.
Adam Ierymenko
The founder who established ZeroTier in 2013.
The details
ZeroTier uses software-defined networking (SDN) — an architecture that abstracts the network control plane from the physical hardware — to create virtual private networks that span disparate endpoints. The platform maintains resilient links by automatically rerouting data packets across multiple available connections if one path experiences high latency or interference. This approach ensures that communication between drones or counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) and ground control remains encrypted and continuous even if individual signals are disrupted.
Timeline
2013: ZeroTier is founded.
2024: Andrew Gault becomes CEO and Robert Stevenson joins the leadership team.
Next one or two years: An estimated one billion AI agents are projected to join internet traffic.
The Tech Race
ZeroTier is positioning its networking architecture to handle the security and connectivity demands of autonomous systems in an increasingly crowded network environment. This effort aligns with the anticipated addition of one billion AI agents to global internet traffic over the next two years.
Drone and counter-UAS operators can currently implement this networking technology to secure remote communications in unstable environments. The platform is designed to scale as autonomous AI agent traffic increases in industrial and government sectors.
The takeaway
Reliable, encrypted communication is becoming the foundational constraint for the scaling of autonomous drone operations. Watch for performance benchmarks in high-jamming environments to see if this platform can maintain data throughput at scale.
Further reading
For broader trends in network infrastructure, visit our Data Centers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by DRONELIFE.
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