Utility Security - Eyes to the Sky and a Look into the Crystal Ball

In a recent episode of The Utility Security Podcast, Echodyne VP of Marketing Leo McCloskey sat down with host Curtis Marquardt to discuss the emergence of new drone technologies and the threats these aircraft pose to utilities and other critical infrastructure. As these aircraft continue to fill the airspace, it’s important to discern between good and bad actors and have security protocols in place. 

Leo highlighted the immediate need for institutions to pay attention to the proliferation of “dark drones”, or drones that don’t emit a radio frequency (RF) signal. Traditionally, drones have operated solely on RF, but these days it’s incredibly easy for an operator - either sophisticated or an armchair enthusiast - to modify a drone and have it fly undetected against legacy security solutions. 

The two also talked about what it means to put into place a multi-layered security solution, able to detect drones of all kinds in all weather and lighting environments. Leo shared that while there are many sensors to integrate, the baseline sensors needed include cameras to keep a lock on the target and radar to “see everything” and protect against dark drones. 

Leo also looked into the future and provided his predictions for where drone detection and mitigation technology will advance in the upcoming 5-10 years. His biggest piece of advice is that the time is now to get proactive, as the worst-case scenario is a large-scale attack prompting a reactive response to protect our critical infrastructure.