Page 12 - Security Today, May 2017

INDUSTRY
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VERTICAL
With Sydny Shepard
ecuring the “New” Higher Ground
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here are many things to be aware of if you are a se- curity team in charge of maintaining public safety during an event at an arena or stadium. You have to worry about threats on the ground—abandoned bags, forbidden items, perimeter security—as well
videos, security teams need to be aware of the threats they could pose on those below. A UAS could crash into or drop unidenti- fied chemicals on players, performers or spectators, or capture unauthorized footage of a performance, game or practice.
We’ve seen these threats play out first hand at major events around the country. For example, at the U.S. Open in September of last year, a drone crashed into the seating area during a ten- nis match between Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculescu. The match was paused briefly to allow for the drone to be confiscated. Thankfully no one was hurt.
For Lamprech, the results of a malicious UAS could be much worse than what happened at the U.S. Open.
“Commercial drones are capable of being transformed into powerful weapons, and can be bought anywhere without a li- cense,” Lamprech said. “Pilots may have unknowingly flown in to protected airspace by accident, a drone may have been hijacked from the pilot, or a pilot may have malicious intention to cause physical harm to the building or spectators.”
Arenas and stadiums are known for having built-in infra- structure that helps protect the people inside, including fences, surveillance cameras, and metal detectors. Surprisingly, little can be done to protect the headspace above the facility, making it extremely vulnerable.
“We look at arenas/stadiums and see terrorism risks, such as drones carrying or dropping unidentified payloads,” Lamprech said. “There is also the risk of drone crashes, which could be in- tended or unintended from a spectator outside the arena who may want to get footage for personal or commercial use, therefore cap- turing illegal images and videos. A drone can easily carry anywhere
as threats in the air, including drones.
Drones have become widely popular within the last few years
as technology becomes more innovative, allowing for high quality images from a small flying device. Reports from the FAA show that these unmanned aircrafts are only getting more popular. The FAA estimates small, hobbyist Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) purchases will grow from 1.9 million in 2016 to as many as 4.3 million by 2020. The report also estimates sales of UAS for commercial purposes will grow from 600,000 in 2016 to 2.7 mil- lion by 2020. Combined, we will see an expected rise to 7 million purchased UAS in 2020.
“People are always looking for a new way to tell a story or view the world,” Dedrone CEO Joerg Lamprech said. “Cam- eras on drones are giving people a bird-eye view of an area— something that can’t be accomplished with any other hardware. Drones allow camera operators to reach new vantage points, and show a new way to view a game or performance. We’re seeing the same thing come up with virtual reality in sports, and saw this in the past with the integration of high-definition filming. Drones with cameras are a new way to showcase the details of a perfor- mance; however, unlike HD and VR, drones overhead watching a game or performance pose significant safety and security risks.”
While these unmanned aircrafts are mostly used profession- ally and recreationally to add depth and intrigue to films and
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