K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
The Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry has become a massive technological playground worldwide. Their extensive applications make UAS very popular for the public and the private sector. Armed forces, agricultural industry, law enforcement, meteorological agencies, medical services, environmental companies, and oil refineries are but a few out of the excessive list of UAS users. UAS manufacturers spend a significant amount of money to research and develop high-tech and smart systems from aircraft-size military UAS to hand-size mini drones.
The use in almost every aspect of human activity adds value to the need of UAS evolution, but it also increases security risks. Imagine what can happen when smart and cheap drones that anyone can easily purchase from a local hobby store become weapons at the hands of adversaries and cyber criminals.
From that perspective, are drones a major threat when it comes to cybersecurity? And if so, what measures should be taken to counter them?
Drones Evolve
If I discussed drones with my friends a few decades ago, they would probably say that I was watching too many sci-fi movies. Today, drones are part of our lives. U.S. Federal Aviation Association (FAA) based on survey trends, overall market growth, and operational information forecasts an outbreak of drone registrations in the forthcoming years.
When we talk about drones, we need to consider two factors:
The Cybersecurity Threat of Drones
Apart from airworthiness and flight safety issues, drones affect the cyber domain and the security of data. Forbes points out that the malicious use of these platforms in the cyber domain is an inevitable fact, and it can no longer be pushed aside. Last Christmas, we witnessed U.S. government posing export restrictions to one of the largest drone manufacturers in order to protect national security and foreign policy interests.
Since drones are remotely controlled, they can be hijacked by bad actors. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated, “Given their rapid technology advancement and proliferation, the public safety and homeland security communities must address the fact that drones can be used nefariously or maliciously to hurt people, disrupt activities, and damage infrastructure.”
Continue reading: https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/cybersecurity-and-drones-how-to-address-the-security-threats/
The use in almost every aspect of human activity adds value to the need of UAS evolution, but it also increases security risks. Imagine what can happen when smart and cheap drones that anyone can easily purchase from a local hobby store become weapons at the hands of adversaries and cyber criminals.
From that perspective, are drones a major threat when it comes to cybersecurity? And if so, what measures should be taken to counter them?
Drones Evolve
If I discussed drones with my friends a few decades ago, they would probably say that I was watching too many sci-fi movies. Today, drones are part of our lives. U.S. Federal Aviation Association (FAA) based on survey trends, overall market growth, and operational information forecasts an outbreak of drone registrations in the forthcoming years.
When we talk about drones, we need to consider two factors:
- Not only do they consist of the airborne platform, but they also include the control station that’s necessary for safe and efficient operation communication links.
- They have become numerous, cheaper, and more complex.
The Cybersecurity Threat of Drones
Apart from airworthiness and flight safety issues, drones affect the cyber domain and the security of data. Forbes points out that the malicious use of these platforms in the cyber domain is an inevitable fact, and it can no longer be pushed aside. Last Christmas, we witnessed U.S. government posing export restrictions to one of the largest drone manufacturers in order to protect national security and foreign policy interests.
Since drones are remotely controlled, they can be hijacked by bad actors. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated, “Given their rapid technology advancement and proliferation, the public safety and homeland security communities must address the fact that drones can be used nefariously or maliciously to hurt people, disrupt activities, and damage infrastructure.”
Continue reading: https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/cybersecurity-and-drones-how-to-address-the-security-threats/
