DHS warns of 'strong concerns' that Chinese-made drones are stealing data
DHS warns of 'strong concerns' that
Chinese-made drones are stealing data
By David Shortell, CNN
Updated 12:23 PM ET, Mon May 20, 2019
DJI's Inspire drone is seen at the 35th GITEX Technology Week at
Dubai World Trade Centre on October 18, 2015 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Washington (CNN) Chinese-made drones may be sending sensitive
flight data to their manufacturers in China, where it can be accessed by the
government there, the US Department of Homeland Security warned in an alert
issued Monday obtained by CNN.
The drones are a "potential risk to an organization's
information," the alert from DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency states. The products "contain components that can
compromise your data and share your information on a server accessed beyond the
company itself."
The report does not name any specific manufacturers, but nearly
80% of the drones used in the US and Canada come from DJI, which is
headquartered in Shenzhen, China, according to one industry analysis. US local
law enforcement organizations and infrastructure operators have grown to rely
on drones in recent years.
"The United States government has strong concerns about any
technology product that takes American data into the territory of an
authoritarian state that permits its intelligence services to have unfettered
access to that data or otherwise abuses that access," the alert says.
"Those concerns apply with equal force to certain
Chinese-made (unmanned aircraft systems)-connected devices capable of
collecting and transferring potentially revealing data about their operations
and the individuals and entities operating them, as China imposes unusually
stringent obligations on its citizens to support national intelligence
activities," the alert adds.
The warning from DHS follows an executive order signed by
President Donald Trump last week that effectively banned US firms from using
telecommunications equipment made by the Chinese company Huawei, which has
drawn similar national security concerns of government spying.
The US and China are currently locked in a trade war that has
frayed the two countries' relationship as it deteriorated in recent weeks.
US officials have raised national security concerns about
Chinese-made drones in the past. In 2017, the US Army issued a ban the use of
DJI drones, alleging in a memo that the company shared critical infrastructure
and law enforcement data with the Chinese government.
Also that year, an internal report from an intelligence division
of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency in Los Angeles assessed that
DJI was "selectively targeting government and privately owned entities
within (the US. critical infrastructure and law enforcement sectors) to expand
its ability to collect and exploit sensitive US data."
Users are warned to "be cautious when purchasing"
drones from China, and to take precautionary steps like turning off the
device's internet connection and removing secure digital cards.
"Organizations that conduct operations impacting national
security or the Nation's critical functions must remain especially vigilant as
they may be at greater risk of espionage and theft of proprietary
information," the alert states.
CNN has reached out to DJI for comment.
DJI, which reported $2.7 billion in revenue in 2017, is best
known for its popular Phantom drone. Introduced in 2013, the drone is the
top-selling commercial drone on the market.
Seventy-nine percent of drones operating in the US and Canada
and 74% globally are made by DJI, according to a 2018 market sector report from
Skylogic Research, an industry analyst.
Industry experts say the drone's easy-to-use software combined
with sophisticated cameras and advanced technology allowed DJI to take over
sales in the US for hobbyists, as well as professional organizations.
"A lot of companies found out that using a drone to inspect
a roof or to inspect industrial facilities is a really good way -- you save a
lot of people climbing ladders," said Kay Wackwitz, the CEO of Drone
Industry Insight, a market research and consultancy company focused on the
commercial drone market.
Agencies from local police departments to the Interior
Department have used drones for sensitive work. According to the 2017 ICE memo,
contractors in Kansas building a DHS bio-defense facility used a DJI drone
"to assist with construction layout and provide security during
construction."
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