Be Air Aware: Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure from Unmanned Aircraft Systems Threats

Recent drone sightings in Poland, along with reports close to critical infrastructure across Europe have sparked fear in some Nato countries of threats from the air. Now, there is talk that a 'drone wall' being built to protect Europe against future incursions and attacks.

Sightings have also been reported close to nuclear power stations in Japan, Belgium and the United States.

Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have transformed the battlefield in recent years with radio or fibre-controlled drones transforming the Russia-Ukraine conflict into an almost game like environment for opposing forces fighting from pilot controllers.

The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said that a new anti-drone system could be fully operational by the end of 2027 to protect against aerial threats prompting a surge in investment into UAS companies and security vendors.

It's in this environment that CISA, the American Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has issued guidance on the threat under the banner of 'Be Air Aware'.

"We are taking proactive measures to protect our nation’s vital assets” said Steve Casapulla, CISA Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security launching:

• ‍Unmanned Aircraft System Detection Technology Guidance for Critical Infrastructure
• ‍Suspicious Unmanned Aircraft System Activity Guidance for Critical Infrastructure Owners and Operators‍
• Safe Handling Considerations for Downed Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Preparing for a growing threat

The commercial and recreational use of UAS continues to soar with companies seeking to provide fast, low-cost delivery channels and leverage cheap platforms for surveillance and intelligence gathering. As a result, it's expected that the frequency of UAS operating near critical infrastructure will rise significantly.

The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the cyber and physical threats posed by UAS which can include ways to remotely exploit ground based networks woithout the need for physical intrusion

The Suspicious Unmanned Aircraft System Activity Guidance for Critical Infrastructure Owners and Operators is a fascinating read for security personnel usually focused on ground-based threats or virtual intrusions into networks.

It highlights that wirelessly controlled Industrial Control Systems (ICS) or Information Technology/Operations Technology (IT/OT) systems, may be vulnerable to a cyberattack via a cheap consumer grade platform that provides over the horizon access to a protected location.

The detailed guidance on detection also provides requirements for understanding the threats posed by UAS, determining site-appropriate detection technologies and integrating this into existing security plans.

Explore the CISA resources online at Protect Critical Infrastructure.