Why Airspace Awareness Matters for Critical Infrastructure Security

By Andrew Singer, SVP, Product & Customer Operations, SkySafe

With increased speed and manoeuvrability, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can efficiently reach areas previously inaccessible to human operators. Unauthorized drone flights have already shut down international airports, infused contraband into prisons, damaged oil fields, and threatened military units and civilians across the globe.

Experts predict that over 10 million consumer drones will be shipped in the U.S. by 2030. Before the threat grows too large to handle, critical infrastructure security leaders should equip themselves with comprehensive airspace awareness to detect, track, and identify rogue UAS in their airspace.

The Imperative of Airspace Awareness

For this article, airspace awareness refers to a comprehensive understanding of all activities in a specific location’s airspace. Drones, especially smaller ones, can easily bypass walls, fences, and traditional radar systems. Even small gaps in airspace awareness can lead to severe consequences.
Undetected and untracked, a malicious drone is free to attempt anything from espionage and theft to security breaches, disruptions, and sabotage. Failure to detect and respond to this unauthorized activity can result in legal and financial repercussions, particularly when it risks property or human safety.

U.S. security leaders have already seen this happen across multiple states. The most infamous recent incident is the drone that crashed near a Pennsylvania power substation, trailing copper wires that could have short-circuited high-voltage equipment on contact. In 2019, a swarm of drones was sighted twice around Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, the country’s largest power plant by net generation. Consumer drones have also breached White House airspace at least twice, though fortunately none were harmed. The list goes on: drones have crashed or been flown over ports in Texas, oil storage facilities in Oklahoma, chemical facilities in Louisiana, New Jersey, and New Orleans, and nuclear labs in New Mexico and California.

Complete airspace awareness encompasses knowing what aircraft and UAS are present, their types, their current and projected flight paths, operator locations, and their intentions. This information enables security personnel to identify potential threats and take appropriate action before the damage is done.

A Darker Evolution

Modern drones have seen significant advancements in technology, capabilities, and features over recent years. They can fly faster and further, move in coordinated swarms, and send high-quality real-time transmissions. Advanced models can also avoid obstacles or even self-destruct.

This matter has not gone unnoticed by government agencies and security experts. In January 2024, the FBI warned that Chinese-made drones could pose a threat due to their ability to transmit sensitive data back to their manufacturers. When DJI recently released an “Update Module” for their discontinued Aeroscope system, analysis by SkySafe experts revealed that the upgrades had given DJI and the Chinese government the ability to cloak drones from detection.

As drone technology continues to evolve faster than the regulations that oversee it, security operators are left with the unenviable task of adapting to emerging threats without clear guidance.

Standards and Compliance Challenges

Airspace security is currently governed by a complex mix of regulations and standards that vary by country or state.

In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act and Preventing Emerging Threats Act give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) the authority to counter and mitigate drone threats to covered facilities, including critical infrastructure.
Globally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ASTM International, and the ISO/TC 20/SC 16 subcommittee have introduced worldwide standards and recommended practices for UAS, covering operational rules and limitations and compliance requirements for safe integration into airspace systems.

While stronger regulations help to deter unauthorized airspace access, many security teams face difficulties with compliance and enforcement. Common obstacles include limited resources, personnel constraints, unclear divisions of responsibility between infrastructure management and local law enforcement, and rising costs for effective airspace awareness measures.

Organizations can stay abreast of the opportunities and security risks afforded by drones in the following ways:

- Frequent and thorough risk assessments of current drone use
- Developing and implementing drone use policies
- Investing in C-UAS technology and training to detect, identify, and mitigate potential threats
- Working closely with law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies to stay updated on best practices

Beyond Detection: Intelligent Airspace Awareness

While drone detection technology is a promising first step toward airspace awareness, it’s only one step. A drone cannot be arrested or prosecuted, and traditional response methods like capturing or jamming a rogue UAS may not always be feasible. Even if one drone is removed from your airspace, a sufficiently motivated and prepared operator could have a replacement airborne that same week, day, or hour. These operators must be targeted to ground drone threats at the source.

Drone intelligence technology combines real-time detection, identification, and tracking capabilities to gauge the intent of rogue drones. These three mechanisms enable comprehensive airspace security by providing the necessary data to alert key figures early and effectively respond to potential threats. Depending on the situation, this can involve alerting the relevant authorities, activating the appropriate countermeasures, or even deploying interceptor drones.

When adopted wisely, drone intelligence technology helps predict future threats, protect critical facilities with drone tracking and analysis, and prosecute or investigate unauthorized drone operators.

Conclusion

With newer drones’ advanced surveying capabilities and ability to capture high-resolution imagery, unauthorized drone incursions bear a serious potential for danger and sabotage.

As consumer drones continue to grow exponentially in popularity, critical infrastructure security must stay ahead of their numbers and evolving technology. Security leaders should invest in future-proof, comprehensive airspace awareness technology and stay informed of industry standards and regulations.

Security leaders should further empower their teams to prevent or react to threats with drone intelligence technology by building standard operating procedures for drone incursions today. This will allow them to analyze potential threats and effectively protect critical infrastructure with constant airspace awareness.