There has been a growing number of potentially catastrophic incidents involving drones in the last six months including a collision with a British Airways passenger jet at Heathrow Airport. The unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs are also being used by criminals to infiltrate prisons, steal intellectual property from businesses and invade people’s privacy. So says Drone Defence, a UK drone proofing consultancy, which is setting up counter measures to protect private companies, events, politicians and members of the public against this new menace from above.
Andrew Wright, commercial director of Drone Defence said: “Having seen the potential for drones to be used for criminal and terrorist applications we quickly moved to be able to present viable countermeasures to the emerging drone threat. Drawing on our experience in both the commercial drone sector as well as the security industry, Drone Defence can offer current and practical solutions to safeguard businesses against drone incursion.”
The firm says that affordable drones are being adopted by criminals and terrorists alike, and the rising danger they pose sparked calls for “urgent action” from the British Airline Pilots Association in January. Recent reports have also suggested that senior UK defence chiefs are concerned ISIS will use a drone to target large crowds at popular outdoor events such as football matches or music festivals.
The threat to sensitive information and privacy is also on the rise since the release of the Snoopy data-stealing drone, which can hack into smartphones and other devices using WiFi signals. Wright says that the safeguarding offered by Drone Defence is a vital step forward for people and businesses to combat the danger.
He added: “We have identified these threats drawing on our experience, we have practical, economical and viable solutions ready for deployment right now. We are at the forefront of the counter drone industry and are constantly evolving with the market and the ever changing threat posed.”
The firm offers a number of measures used to combat drones – including net guns that pluck the devices out of the sky. A multi-sensor drone detection system uses audio, video and infrared sensors to protect a specific location.
The company also works to inform operators about so called ‘No Drone Zones’ to try and prevent drone incursions before they happen. Visit www.dronedefence.co.uk.
