THE FUTURE OF CRIME: The Drone Era, Part I

Drones have taken over the hobbyist world by storm.

Drone tech has been driven by a strange confluence of improvements in miniaturization (nano-technology), increased transistor density, and materials science.

While the majority of drone applications appear to be in more traditional ventures such as aerial photography and exploration, a little-discussed aspect relates to how drones could be leveraged for criminal activities.

Likewise, for firms focused on security, there will be a growing need to create drone countermeasures.

What am I talking about?

The Jewelry StoreHere’s a simple example.

Imagine a jewelry store in a high-end mall. Foot traffic is heavy. An off-duty police officer provides a visible security presence.

But a police officer and alert employees are no match for a drone.

Equipped with a tiny, high-def camera and painted to match the color scheme of the store, the drone is designed to surveil the store from outside. When an opportune time arises — say, when a tray of diamond engagement rings is left unattended, the attacker sends in the drone.

Using a small hook the drone rips through the air and grabs a couple of the juicier rings and exfiltrates them lickety-split.

Countermeasures?

A simple — but not too classy method — might be “Magic Mesh“, the screen “door” that opens and closes using magnets as seen on TV!.

This would prevent a tiny drone from insertion and exfiltration without exquisite timing.

With that said, I have a range of ideas regarding criminal activities that could be accomplished using drones and robots. I’ll share them from time to time.

It’s important for law enforcement and physical security firms to think about the ramifications of these technology advances; the business opportunity lies in the countermeasures.

Hat tip: BadBlue Tech News.