Drones have tremendous potential for both good and bad.
On the plus side, they can avoid gridlocked traffic to deliver needed blood and other medical supplies to hospitals. Camera-equipped drones can provide close-up views of active crime scenes or areas devastated by a natural disaster, or even provide needed support for search and rescue operations. Security integrators can even use them to help make site surveys and other planning operations easier.
But drones can also be used to deliver contraband, such as weapons, drugs and mobile phones, into prison yards. Even more dangerously, they could be used to drop payloads of chemicals, biological agents or explosives anywhere people gather in large numbers. This is the aspect of drones that worries facility operators, security professionals, first responders and government officials.
How real are these worries? Very. Drone-supplied tools recently helped a prisoner to break out of a South Carolina correctional institution. A drone dropped its payload – fortunately only political leaflets – over a sold-out stadium near San Francisco. Some say it is only a matter of time before drones become weaponized.
“Terrorist organizations have an interest in using drones,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in recent testimony before a U.S. Senate homeland security committee. “I think the expectation is that it is coming here imminently.”
The most likely targets for chemical or biological attacks are outdoor venues that attract large crowds – such as stadiums, parks and beaches. Terrorists using bombs may look for utilities, refineries or other critical infrastructure.
The Numbers are Growing
Terrorists aside, the number of drones in the sky is expected to grow by about 250 percent between 2016 and 2021. According to a forecast by the Federal Aviation Administration, there will be nearly 4 million hobbyist and commercial drones flying about the country in three years.
While it may seem drones are virtually anywhere outdoors, the federal government has taken steps to limit where and when they are permissible to fly. Without permission from a governmental agency, it is currently illegal to fly a drone:
· Above an elevation of 400 feet;
· Within five miles of an airport;
· Within a 15-mile radius of Washington, D.C.; and
· Within three miles of a stadium one hour before and one hour after a Major League Baseball, National Football League or NCAA Division One football game.
Each of those laws have been violated many times by both commercial and hobbyist drone pilots. Fans in the San Francisco-area stadium are not the only ones to spot a done hovering above a sporting event, and airline pilots have reported seeing drones hovering at 6,500 feet and within 100 yards of a landing passenger aircraft. In 2015, a hobbyist crashed his drone on the White House lawn, causing an immediate lockdown of the building.
Most integrators are probably unfamiliar with drones and their capabilities. Current non-military drones can carry 15-pound payloads for distances up to 20 miles or more. They can easily travel at speeds of 35 miles per hour. Gain hands-on experience by buying a commercial-grade drone and learning to fly it. More information is also available from the FAA at www.faa.gov/uas.
Mitigating the Risk
What can security integrators do to protect their customers? There are technology tools available; however, they can be expensive.
One multi-sensor system can track the pilot’s location, where the drone is heading and even report on the type of drone and its IP address. A true radar system provides significantly more information, even pulling video from the drone. We can see what it sees.
The Department of Homeland Security and FBI may gain authority to track and down drones deemed to be a “credible threat” to a “covered” facility or asset. The new legislation, Preventing Emerging Threats, was part of a 1,200-page bill posted last summer by the House of Representatives. The bill is currently making its way through committee hearings.
That bill does not, however, give similar authority to other agencies and private organizations. Current U.S. law prevents shooting down drones or jamming a pilot’s control capabilities with electromagnetic signals. The FAA has taken a strong stance against shooting drones out of the sky, fearing the process could cause even more problems.
The Federal Communications Commission has opposed jamming drone control signals due to possible interruption of frequencies used by mobile phones and first responder communications. By blocking the signal, you may also shut down the internet in the surrounding areas – obviously a potential problem for businesses counting on continuous operations.
Other countries do allow signals to be jammed. Once the radio frequency signal between pilot and drone is severed, the aircraft will either descend to the ground or initiate a “return to home” maneuver. Look for new, more technologically advanced systems to come to the U.S. soon as the FAA, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense approve technology to block signals without impacting other communications. The FAA Drone Advisory Committee is working to propose a range of recommendations that safely integrate drones into the national airspace with the right balance of regulations.
I have found organizations don’t have the time or ability to train their security staffs on this issue; in fact, many are choosing to outsource it. This creates a great opportunity for educated integrators to help create threat assessments and create custom protocols for a facility in case of an attack. Right now, it is about saving lives and minimizing impacts.
Set Up a System
We are all familiar with fire drills. Recently, many organizations have added active shooter drills. Now, it is time for affected facilities to add drone threat response drills to the mix. An integrator can help – and even create recurring monthly revenue by monitoring the system they put in place.
Start by finding a role for everyone on the security team and other department leaders. Then, set up the available drone identification technology. Most technology will be capable of spotting a drone from several miles away. By reading the control signals, you can see how many and what types of drones are in the area and accurately pinpoint the pilot’s or pilots’ location.
Use the systems to get a good idea of just how many drones are flying in the area during normal circumstances. You may be surprised by the number of detected drones; however, the vast majority will be what we term passive threats. It is likely a kid flying a small drone in a nearby park or a hobbyist gathering video to post online. While not a major concern, any drone poses the risk of crashing and causing injuries or property damage.
You may be facing a malicious threat if your sensors show a drone flying at a very high speed or a single pilot flying 10 or more drones. This is when quick action is necessary. The security department of the facility should be notified as soon as a drone enters the monitored airspace.
As the drones get closer to the facility, use high definition security cameras with zoom lenses to get “eyes” on the target(s). Continue to track their paths and alert employees at a distance pre-determined by the security team. Consider a lockdown, making sure everyone is indoors and away from windows. Call first responders and let them know of the pilot’s location.
We don’t want to scare people, but as security professionals, we must make our customers aware of the risks posed by drones. Until our laws have caught up with technology, security integrators must be ready to provide customers with defensive tools and plans.
Nancy Ford is the owner of Security 101 – Salt Lake City. She is also a member of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Drone Advisory Committee Subcommittee, charged with identifying and proposing actions for the FAA on how to best facilitate issues affecting the efficiency and safety of integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the nation’s airspace.
