Security researchers warn that drones are being altered to slip into correctional facilities and drop items that are prohibited inside. Vladimir Kleshnin, head of business development for the anti-drone division at Kaspersky Lab, discussed this trend in an interview with a Russian tech outlet.
Intruders are deploying modified drones to bring a range of banned items onto prison grounds. Reports describe deliveries of items such as phones, cash, and illegal substances. These incidents appear to be ongoing and increasingly common, according to the expert.
The expert explained that drone modification can involve both software tweaks and hardware changes. Typically, the components that control the radio link between the operator and the drone are the primary targets for modification. Tuning drones is not limited to malicious actors; hobbyists sometimes experiment with the same gear.
Altering or expanding the radio frequency range helps counter interference from nearby devices, including home routers. By default, many drones and Wi‑Fi devices operate on the same 2.4 GHz spectrum. Seasoned attackers may also exploit software flaws to make drones harder to detect on radio channels.
For a deeper look at how suppression tools are discussed and how drones are used by wrongdoers, see the cited report by Vladimir Kleshnin (Newspaper.Ru) with attribution to Kaspersky Lab. [Citation: Kaspersky Lab expert, discussing drone modifications and prison-related incidents]