Cyber-Physical Attacks and Drone Strikes

[Pieman]

Or what I like to call high-tech antisymmetric warfare. The article below hints on what I have been worried about for a long time now.

Given a *very modest* budget, I am sure one can have a massive impact on a city and won't even have to be on the same side of the globe. Anyone with a computer and the Internet has full access to this kind of information and off the shelf products. It does not take a tremendous amount of education to build these. I built a small autonomous UAV in less than a month this summer.

http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2011/0705_drones_villasenor.aspx

Just some food for thought. All the fancy toys we have seen appear in this past war will likely be used against us in the next one.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Air hogs, remote controlled planes you can buy at Toys R Us, $40ish.  Light digital camera, $100ish, duct tape, $5.  There is a cheap drone right there.  Sure its limited in range, but for a quick fly by it'll do.  You can go the expensive high tech route like that article says, but for some it may not be practical.

 

[Pieman]

You can get very high tech for under 2K per unit. Would allow for remote connection, viewing, and control from anywhere in the world. This price includes autopilot and on-board navigational capabilities. Could set up a network of camera, actuators all around an area and control from afar.  Countermeasures would be super difficult without major disruption to normal communication networks. You can also switch to any frequency you wish for very low cost as well. Seriously alarming tech in the wrong hands, in my book.