UNMANNED DRONES A THREAT TO AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE ALSO HUGE SECURITY THREAT, SAYS CONGRESS
Industry experts predict the takeoff of a multi-billion dollar market for civilian drones with the biggest market expected to be state and local police departments.
(AP) Before thousands of police drones begin flying in U.S. skies, Congress should take steps to protect the public's privacy and prevent terrorists from hacking or jamming signals that control the aircraft, lawmakers said Thursday. House members from both parties said at an oversight hearing that they're worried about potential privacy and security threats as the use of small unmanned aircraft becomes widespread. The Federal Aviation Administration forecasts an estimated 10,000 civilian drones will be in use in the U.S. within five years. Industry experts predict the takeoff of a multi-billion dollar market for civilian drones as soon as the FAA completes regulations to make sure they do not pose a safety hazard to other aircraft. But the agency's focus and expertise is safety, not security or privacy. Among the dangers, witnesses said, is that the signals used to guide civilian drones can be hacked or jammed, causing them to crash. In an experiment, collage students were able to successfully hack the signals of a sophisticated drone, getting it to change altitude or position through "spoofing" - sending the drone incorrect information on its location. GPS signal jammers available for sale on the Internet for as little as $50 could also be used to cause a civilian drone to crash, said Gerald Dillingham of the Government Accountability Office. The GAO recommended in 2008 that the Transportation Security Administration, which is part of the homeland security department, examine the security implications of civilian use of drones. Not only has TSA not done that, but the agency has ignored questions from the GAO about why the recommendations aren't being implemented, Dillingham said.
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Industry experts predict the takeoff of a multi-billion dollar market for civilian drones with the biggest market expected to be state and local police departments.
(AP) Before thousands of police drones begin flying in U.S. skies, Congress should take steps to protect the public's privacy and prevent terrorists from hacking or jamming signals that control the aircraft, lawmakers said Thursday. House members from both parties said at an oversight hearing that they're worried about potential privacy and security threats as the use of small unmanned aircraft becomes widespread. The Federal Aviation Administration forecasts an estimated 10,000 civilian drones will be in use in the U.S. within five years. Industry experts predict the takeoff of a multi-billion dollar market for civilian drones as soon as the FAA completes regulations to make sure they do not pose a safety hazard to other aircraft. But the agency's focus and expertise is safety, not security or privacy. Among the dangers, witnesses said, is that the signals used to guide civilian drones can be hacked or jammed, causing them to crash. In an experiment, collage students were able to successfully hack the signals of a sophisticated drone, getting it to change altitude or position through "spoofing" - sending the drone incorrect information on its location. GPS signal jammers available for sale on the Internet for as little as $50 could also be used to cause a civilian drone to crash, said Gerald Dillingham of the Government Accountability Office. The GAO recommended in 2008 that the Transportation Security Administration, which is part of the homeland security department, examine the security implications of civilian use of drones. Not only has TSA not done that, but the agency has ignored questions from the GAO about why the recommendations aren't being implemented, Dillingham said.
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