Martin Broomhead AFC MRAeS, UK managing director of multinational drone security company D-Fend Solutions, gave an exclusive interview to Cyber Intelligence from the showground floor in London’s Olympia conference centre. He outlines the increasingly blurred line between physical security and cybersecurity, the main theme of this year’s International Cyber Expo, which combined with this year’s International Security Expo on the Olympia showground.
Cyber Intelligence: Can you give us a recent example of a genuine drone attack?
Martin Broomhead: We recently averted a drone threatening His Holiness the Pope at a public event.
Cyber Intelligence: Can you tell us what happened?
Martin Broomhead: In the past such a threat might have demanded a full-scale security lockdown response with the possibility of the event being cancelled much to the disappointment of the crowd attending. But by using D-Fend Solutions EnforceAir RF Cyber CUAS system, the onsite security team were able to identify the drone threat early and deal with it before it became a direct threat to his Holiness and indeed the wider public attending.
Cyber Intelligence: Exactly how do you deal with a rogue drone that suddenly appears out of a blue sky?
Martin Broomhead: Using the EnforceAir System, security agencies were able to take full control of a rogue drone threat. They had three main mitigation options: the first would be to continue to passively track the rogue drone and its pilot location ahead of a police arrest operation or, where direct cyber action is needed; the second would be to ‘Fend Off’ the drone by sending it back to its pilot and the third would be to ‘Take Over’ control of the drone and commanding it to land at a predefined location as determined by the on-site security staff.
Cyber Intelligence: Apart from high-profile figures, to whom do drones also represent a threat?
Martin Broomhead: Drones are also being used for commercial espionage.
Cyber Intelligence: Do you mean that drones are being used to spy on people in offices and research facilities?
Martin Broomhead: A drone using one of the latest 8k digital cameras has considerable range and can be used, for example, to look into City offices to gather sensitive information such as staff log-in details as they log in on their computers. Using the EnforceAir system, in this case, would provide a dome of protection over the target building, preventing a rogue drone from getting close enough to film or cause any damage.
Cyber Intelligence: Thank You
