Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being successfully used in a variety of applications, including agriculture, search and rescue operations, surveillance systems, and mission-critical services, thanks to some technological and practical advantages, such as high mobility, the ability to extend wireless coverage areas, or the capacity to reach locations inaccessible to humans. In contrast, attacks against drones, as opposed to traditional cyberattacks, typically happen as a result of serious design flaws and a lack of wireless security protection methods. The study examines lightweight asymmetric cryptographic algorithms for secure Internet of Drones (IoD) communication, addressing cybersecurity
challenges within this emerging technology. It evaluates RSA, ElGamal, DiffieHellman, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), focusing on their suitability for IoD through comparative analysis on calculation time, memory usage, key size, and security. The goal is to contribute to developing robust, efficient, and secure communication protocols for IoD, promoting growth while mitigating risks. This research is pivotal for the advancement of IoD security, exploring the application of these cryptographic techniques to ensure secure, efficient operations within the IoD framework.