Drones can be hacked, say security researchers

Drones — A recent item about drones in the GWU CyberSecurity Policy Newsletter revealed that drones can be hacked via spoofing the drone GPS systems. Government drones in US airspace are poised to become a privacy issue of increasing concern. Here is an excerpt from the newsletter, which is available here.

………”A group of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin Radionavigation Laboratory recently succeeded in hijacking a drone by spoofing the global positioning system (GPS) on board the aircraft. With just around $1,000 in parts, the team took control of an unmanned aerial vehicle owned by the college, all in front of the US Department of Homeland Security. Domestic drones are already being used by the DHS and other governmental agencies, and several small- time law enforcement groups have accumulated UAVs of their own as they await clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration, Reuters reports. Indeed, by 2020 there may be tens of thousands of drones diving and dipping through US airspace. With that futuristic reality only a few years away, this action suggests that the FAA may have their work cut out for them if they think it’s as easy as just approving domestic use anytime soon.”