随着时间的推移，无人机的用途越来越多样化。从玩具到用于军事侦察和作战的无人驾驶飞行器（UAV），再到商业市场上的各种用途，无人机自诞生以来已经走过了漫长的道路。在商业领域，无人机现在被用于
IoT 包括房地产营销、电影制作、搜救任务、农业、食品和医疗用品配送等。
Companies like Domino’s and UPS have already started using this innovation for delivering pizza and medical samples, respectively. Amazon will also deploy this technology to deliver parcels to your doorstep in the foreseeable future. On top of that, it has been anticipated that the global drone market, which sat at USD 28 Billion in 2023, to USD 166.70 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 25% during the forecast period (2024-2031). This is a great time to be drone developer.
However, with the soaring popularity of drones, the interest of hackers to hack into them in mid-flight is also increasing, as are concerns for privacy. So, the answer to the question of whether drones can be hacked is, unfortunately, yes. And they can also be used to hack other devices and steal data. This means that with the burgeoning market for drones, there is a critical need for cybersecurity. Let's explore this and other topics of interest to drone developers and enthusiasts.
无人机如何被黑客攻击？
Hacking into a drone is similar to hacking into a computer, and hackers can access them from up to a mile away. They just need to create a connection to your drone by intercepting the signal. The radio signal is usually unencrypted, so there's an interim step to decode it with a packet sniffer. If they can achieve this, block the signal and connect your drone to their device, they can manipulate your gadget to work as they choose.
Let’s take an example of GPS spoofing, a technique hackers can use to send false GPS coordinates to the drone’s receiver. (Note that GPS spoofing can also be used to thwart malicious drones.) As a result, the operator may think that the drone is following the right flying pattern, but it is being steered to a different location. The hacker can crash the drone deliberately or navigate it to the location of their choice to access the data.
A hacked drone can potentially build a backdoor into an organization’s wireless network, causing network interference and threatening productivity as well as profitability. In the event of data theft, the downtime incurred may cost businesses a fortune and damage their relationship with clients or customers. Hackers can also gain access to proprietary information, enabling competitors to access trade secrets.
That's the bad news. The good news is that drones can be secured, just like any other wireless device.
如何加强无人机的安全性
基于上述原因，采取措施保护无人机免受威胁至关重要。既然智能问题有智能解决方案，那么就有许多方法来提高无人机的安全性。
无人机开发人员：从安全组件开始
Wireless security starts with the manufacturer of your components, and must be addressed at every point along the way, from wireless device design and firmware development to securing the device for end use with secure user permissions. At Digi, we believe in a secure-by-design approach, which means our embedded XBee® devices and ConnectCore® family of system-on-modules have built-in security with Digi TrustFence®, providing the building blocks for development of secure wireless products. We also advise our developers on secure design best practices through our security site, our field application engineers and available Wireless Design Services.
经常更新固件
当然，保持对自己设备代码的控制至关重要。如果您从制造商处购买无人机，请随时了解新出现的安全威胁，并确保无人机配备了最新的补丁程序。如果您是制造商，当然要为客户提供安全补丁。
Learn about Digi ConnectCore® Security Services and Digi ConnectCore® Cloud Services for remote device security and ongoing management of Digi ConnectCore system-on-modules.
保护控制器
Whether you use a remote, laptop, or smartphone to control your drone, you need to ensure it doesn't get infected by malware. If possible, try to use the controller only to operate your drone. Thus, you don’t have to download programs or apps on your device that may not be trustworthy. For example, a U.S. military drone was reported to get hacked because the operator used the controller for downloading a video game that came with malware.
Employing best practices for the security of connected devices is just as imperative for drones and the devices they connect to, as it is for other any other wireless device. For example, you can install antivirus software to keep UAV security threats at bay. Be sure to purchase a premium antivirus because "you get what you pay for," and many free antivirus programs are not reliable. They may be able to detect viruses but don’t have the potential to prevent them.
采用虚拟专用网络或创建专用 LTE 网络
由于黑客可以拦截信号并将自己的设备连接到无人机上，因此另一种方法是使用虚拟专用网络（VPN）或...... 专用 LTE 网络.
订阅 虚拟专用网络 服务，让您的互联网连接免受黑客攻击。VPN 充当互联网的网关，对您的连接进行加密，防止黑客访问您的设备。
Private LTE networks are a method that is rapidly being adopted today, especially in commercial use such as in contained areas. This method involves creating a non-public wireless network based on cellular LTE technology. Private LTE networks use small cells — similar to Wi-Fi access points — which are installed on site and then operated by a managed service provider (MSP). See our 基于 CBRS 的专用 LTE 页面，进一步了解这种方法的安全性和可靠性以及使用案例。
确保无人机具有返航 (RTH) 模式
RTH mode is a security feature that enables your drone to return to an accessible landing location. Once you set the takeoff position of your drone as a reference point, your gadget will return if it loses signal or its battery drops to a specified level. But make sure to fly your drone in a clear area without interference and update the takeoff point before any flight to ensure it always returns to its starting point.
These are some of the measures you can take to level up the security of your drones. Additionally, you can ensure that you use your drone in less populated areas where hackers are not a threat, and not to follow the same flying pattern regularly. These measures can help reduce the risk of your drone getting hacked.
无人机可以被追踪吗？
无人驾驶飞行器的市场增长已经充分说明了一件事。政府和军方将定期发布法规，以保护公民隐私、保护敏感数据并确保安全。当私人无人机进入禁飞区或被发现用于侵犯隐私时，私人使用无人机的无处不在和潜在风险就会成为焦点。
此外，正如我们已经讨论过的，无人机还可用于入侵服务器等其他设备、监视网络、拦截数据和破坏通信。无人机还可用于犯罪意图，在入室盗窃前勘察房屋和汽车，或进入禁区。而无人机被用于投放恶意有效载荷的风险显然是一个令人担忧的问题。
技术如何帮助追踪恶意无人机
防止非法和恶意使用无人机意味着当局、机场和关键任务运营部门必须能够跟踪无人机。如今，可以使用雷达和其他技术（如射频扫描仪、雷达和声学传感器）对无人机进行跟踪。
射频扫描仪
射频扫描仪检查保护区内的电磁频谱，以识别无人机与其控制器之间任何形式的通信。不过，射频扫描仪只有在存在无线电信号的情况下才会有效。依靠 GPS 而不使用信号的无人机无法用这种方法检测到。
雷达
雷达使用射频 (RF) 波，可用于识别特定区域内的无人机，无论它们使用的是 RF、GPS、Wi-Fi 还是蜂窝通信。雷达探测依赖于物体的雷达截面 (RCS)，RCS是雷达信号从物体表面反射时的可探测程度，对金属等表面的探测最为有效。不过，由于包括鸟类在内的任何飞行物体都能被探测到，因此这种方法需要高清雷达和使用 "特征 "数据库。人工智能和机器学习越来越多地支持通过雷达精确、快速地识别无人机。
声学传感器
声学传感器可以发现雷达探测不到的无人机。它们通过编程识别无人机螺旋桨或发动机产生的声音或振动，并与声学特征数据库进行比对。如果发现匹配，系统就会触发警报。
无人机探测市场
In addition to designing and building drones, this is another market opportunity for developers in the private, commercial and government drone sectors. Sophisticated detection solutions like Drone Watcher by DeTect Intelligent Sensors and AirGuard drone detection by 911 Security can support safety and security for governments, aviation no-fly zones and mission critical operations against the threat of malicious drones.
无人机可以用来运送人吗？
随着载重无人机技术的发展，它们确实可以用来运送人员。自 杰特森一家 — a 1960's futuristic cartoon by Hanna-Barbera Productions — the world has dreamed of a day when flying cars would be a reality. In recent years, a number of companies have been designing and manufacturing passenger drones.
用无人机运送乘客的技术已经开发了一段时间。一种名为 Ehang 184，于 2018 年发布，是一款带有四个螺旋桨的全电动载客无人机。这款自动飞行器能够一次搭载两名乘客或总重 460 磅的乘客。Ehang 184 还成功地以每小时 80 英里的巡航速度飞行，并完成了 9 英里的航线试飞。
最近，一个名为 "欧洲单一天空自动取款机研究"（Sesar）U-space 示范项目的组织宣布将进行空中交通试验。未来两年，该项目将在欧洲多个城市（西班牙的圣地亚哥-德孔波斯特拉、英国的克兰菲尔德、荷兰的阿姆斯特丹和鹿特丹）测试智能城市空中交通服务。试验将包括一系列使用案例，包括空中出租车运营、货物运输、货物和医疗设备交付、基础设施检查、警方监控和紧急服务支持。
据说，空中出租车服务 "比你想象的更近"。例如： Joby Aviation is actively building, piloting and selling air taxis after many years of working on their proof of concept and collaborating with the likes of NASA, the U.S. Airforce, Uber and Toyoa.
毋庸置疑，这些载人无人机需要空中交通管制系统和可以降落、充电和储存的机场。现有的直升机停机坪是一种选择，但它们缺乏停车或充电的空间，而且可能不在人们想去的地区。因此，要实现这一市场，还有许多工作要做。一旦实现，这种新型车辆的推出必将颠覆移动领域，改变人们的通勤方式。
无人机技术的未来
Drone innovation is exciting, even with its risks and challenges. With the rapid market growth in UAVs for commercial and government use, the opportunities for developers to build drones and related detection and security services provides ample opportunity. For example, an enormous use case for drones moving forward will be environmental stewardship and clean technology — from reducing the use of vehicles that burn fossil fuels to detection and monitoring of forest fires, wildlife and environmental hazards. Technologies supporting advances in this market, including the advance of 5G, AI, machine learning and connected vehicle technology, will enable more sophisticated solutions as they mature.
Digi International supports the full range of development and deployment needs in IoT and M2M, from wireless design services to help with planning, prototyping, design and application development to a full suite of embedded solutions, cellular solutions, and professional services.
下一步工作
Note: This blog post was originally published in February of 2021 and was updated in May of 2024.