DRONES AND OUR SECURITY – SHOULD WE BE WORRIED?

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DRONES AND OUR SECURITY SHOULD WE BE WORRIED?
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• Drones are now part and parcel of modern life,
  and while most of us dont necessarily see, or
  interact with them regularly, we are aware of
  their continued existence and we know that they
  are here to stay. But could they pose a real and
  genuine threat to our security, or are they just
  fantastic new flying robots that make our lives
  easier and give us access to places that were
  once only accessible by helicopter or aeroplane?
• How the FAA currently regulates the use of
  drones
• Current drone rules mandate that those using
  drones for recreational purposes, such as simply
  flying or taking aerial photography and videos,
  must register their

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• drone in a national registry, ensure that the
  drone is flown only within their line of sight
  and must completely avoid areas that are heavily
  restricted, such as airports and stadiums (when
  in use). They have even gone so far as to create
  an app that helps recreational drone users see
  where they can and cannot, fly their drones.
• However, there are those within local governments
  who feel that the federal governments rules dont
  go far enough in addressing important issues such
  as privacy and trespassing, including flying
  drones over peoples property without permission,
  and they have gone on to create their own set of
  rules.

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• Is our privacy at risk?
• Much of the concern voiced in the media regarding
  the use of drones, has been related to safety and
  how they shouldnt be flown in the same vicinity
  as aircraft, airports and crowded public places.
  The issues surrounding privacy have often taken a
  back seat and been mainly about public privacy,
  as opposed to national or public security on a
  wider scale. However, as far as the average
  member of the public is concerned, drones can be
  purchased for less than 50 and be deployed with
  surveillance cameras, meaning that gaining aerial
  footage of private property, is straightforward
  for drone operators. While its probably true to
  say that most of those who own a miniature flying
  robot, use it purely for recreational purposes

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• and have no intention of snooping in our yards,
  monitoring our movements or trying to gain
  knowledge of entry points for burglary purposes,
  but there are opportunists everywhere, and the
  risk may be very real.
• In what other ways might our privacy be at risk?
• The security industry is trying hard to keep
  abreast of the varied risks posed by the misuse
  of drone technology to circumvent security
  systems, and while most drones are noisy and can
  be seen clearly in the hours of daylight, there
  is still a growing risk of them being used to
  carry out reconnaissance missions around
  buildings, grounds and private properties. While
  some have suggested that Googles Street

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• View and Google Earth services can be used to
  assist criminals, there are now those who accuse
  drones of doing the same thing.
• While most recreational drones have short battery
  lives and can only carry small, lightweight
  packages, these features may be highly appealing
  to criminals and even terrorists, who can equip
  drones with the right technology to capture high
  definition images of people and properties and
  fly the small robots in areas they wouldnt
  otherwise be able to gain access to.

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• How hard is it to catch and prosecute those who
  misuse drones?
• Unfortunately, catching and apprehending those
  offenders who misuse drones, still proves to be
  an almost impossible feat and under the
  legislation that currently exists, prosecuting
  them is even harder.
• Drones present us with a very real security and
  privacy threat, and so yes, we should be worried,
  but keeping ourselves up to date with advances in
  technology and federal rulings, is one way of
  ensuring that we dont fall victim of the
  intelligent flying robots.

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