Cyber Threats Facing Wireless Drone Systems and How to Mitigate Them
As advanced as drone technology is, there are a number of cyber threats facing wireless systems. These cyber threats can have a negative impact on operational performance and lead to financial losses, as well as supply chain attacks, and even data theft.
If you work with drone systems, your main priority should always be protecting them. Taking steps to protect drone systems can save you time and money. This post explores some of the main cyber threats facing wireless drone systems, so you get a better idea of how to mitigate them.
Buy Quality Equipment
If you are concerned about cyber attacks, the best thing you can do is buy high-quality drone technology. Sourcing secure American-made drones is not difficult, and means you don’t have to worry about low-quality workmanship, or intentional security vulnerabilities. If you are interested in buying yourself a drone, shop around and find the best product you can. Product reviews can help you to determine a product’s suitability.
Signal Jamming
Signal jamming is a form of interference attack. It is when attackers transmit signals created to disrupt drone communication. By ‘drone communication,’ this post refers to communication between the drone and the drone’s handler. These attacks are designed to leave drones unresponsive, which can lead to them falling out of the sky or being rendered completely useless. These attacks may also result in the drone force landing. These attacks are most commonly used against military and law enforcement drones, but any drone is vulnerable.
The way to protect against this form of attack is to routinely change frequencies. Changing frequencies makes it difficult for hackers to jam signals. You can also take steps to increase the strength of your signals, since stronger signals are much more difficult to jam. Another solution is to enable autonomous flight mode, which is when your drone operates itself and doesn’t rely on a manual operator. There are problems with autonomous drones, but in certain settings, autonomy is much better than signals being jammed.
GPS Spoofing
Another common attack is GPS spoofing, which is when attacks send fake GPS signals to drones to mislead them into taking alternative routes, crashing, or force landing. GPS spoofing, like signal jamming, is a tactic most commonly employed against military and law enforcement drones. Really though, it can happen to anyone’s drone. This tactic is typically used in order to get drones to land in hostile territory, as it allows rogue governments and militaries to study drone technology. This then makes it possible for them to steal technology, reverse engineer it, and use it themselves. The problem with spoofing is that it can be used against even the best GPS systems, which makes it a hard tactic to defend against.
The main way in which drone operators prevent GPS spoofing is by using encrypted GPS signals. Encrypted signals can’t be hijacked as easily and are much more secure. Another strategy for preventing spoofing is to use multiple satellite networks for GPS validation. It is very difficult to hijack or interfere with multiple satellite networks, and while still possible, much more unlikely.
MitM Attacks
Man-in-the-Middle attacks (MitM) occur when hackers intercept and seize control of drones without operators even realizing. This allows the hackers to access controlled functions, reroute drones, watch them, and steal data. More often than not, though, this form of attack is used by hackers to perform unauthorized surveillance. It can be used to gain insights about military installations, important business information, or law enforcement tactics. This form of attack is highly specialized and very technical, which means training and expertise are required to effectively execute an attack. It is most successful when targeted at unsecured Wi-Fi or RF channels.
To protect against MitM attacks, there are a number of different things you can do. The most effective of these is to use end-to-end encryption on your networks. End-to-end encryption can help protect your drones and minimize the chances of them being hacked. You should also try and set up mutual authentication. Mutual authentication allows you to get a better idea of what is going on with your drone and drone networks.
Malware Manipulation
A lot of people think that malware is just something that can affect computers and mobile devices, but this is not true. This form of malicious virus can be used to target drones, too. If malware attacks a drone, it can render it useless. It can also be used to steal data from it or aid unauthorized surveillance operations. Malware is something that is used to target even civilian drones, so while it is something the military and law enforcement agencies have to look out for, ordinary people do, especially if they are installing patches or downloading things from the internet.
You can protect your drone from malware by downloading verified firmware from authorized retailers. You should also enable secure boot mechanisms, which prevent unauthorized actions and firmware autonomy. Also make sure you restrict access to updates and downloads, so unauthorized parties can’t alter or modify your drone’s firmware or software.
Physical Attacks
The biggest threat posed to civilian drone operators is physical attacks. While not cyber threats necessarily, there is still a threat that drone operators need to watch out for. Physical attacks can lead to drones being broken or rendered unusable. The main form of physical attack is projectiles being launched at drones. Projectiles can be used to knock drones out of the sky and capture them. Another common form of physical attack is theft. Drones are worth a lot of money, so they are a popular target for criminals.
The best way to protect against physical attacks is to be cautious and aware when you are operating your drone, so you don’t end up flying somewhere hostile. You should also lock your drone in a locker when you aren’t using it. Locking your drone up prevents criminals from being able to steal it.
If you operate a wireless drone, make yourself aware of cyber threats. The guidance given here will hopefully give you a better understanding of some of the different strategies employed by criminals to hijack or steal people’s drones. Use it to keep your drones safe.
