Drones are gaining more and more popularity here in the US. They are no longer only a military tool able to operate thousands of miles away from us, but an easily accessible product available in almost every consumer electronics store in the US. Well, most of the ones sold in the stores may not be as powerful as the military ones, but they still are flying devices that can be controlled by you. Which makes them a cool thing to play with during the weekend, or maybe record some great aerial footage overseeing the ocean for your next holiday video.

What makes them appealing to people is the fact that everyone enjoys flying a drone and they are easily accessible. Drones are intuitive, fun to play with, and most of them do not require a pilot license. You’ve never in your life had a better way to capture James Bond-like shots over the Sunday family BBQ. Years ago, movie production companies were spending thousands of dollars to get similar dramatic aerial footage, all you need now is a $200 drone and a smartphone. Thank you technology!

Drones sales increasing

With this in mind, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in 2016 Americans will spend more than $2.5 million for drone purchases, and the yearly sales number is predicted to nearly triple by 2020. The numbers are not surprising at all; drones are cool as now you can operate them with your mind. Sounds crazy but there are companies such as Soap Studio that offer gadgets that allow users to operate a drone with their mind – most of the Parrot drones could be controlled by Soap Studio’s latest device called MIND.

It lets you have full control over some Parrot drones using company’s brainwave-controlled headset. Welcome to the future kids! You don’t even have to be skilled in operating a drone; you just have to be able to focus. Most of the consumer drones do not even require a remote controller; you can install an app on your smartphone and start flying using your smartphone.

However, drones are connected devices, and for every connected device, there are security risks involved.

The growing market comes with vulnerabilities

The growing market comes with vulnerabilities as the increased demand leaves holes in the security of the devices. There have been reported cases of hackers accessing drone’s storage and illegally downloading the captured footage. Not everyone wants to see your Jason Bourne style shots of your next family gathering, but they would certainly be interested in learning more about the area you live in. Such information could be beneficial for them as it could help troublemakers plan and commit crimes in the area.

Drones hijacking

Another trick that some folks have managed to master is being able to access your drone and hijack it or power it off while in flight. Even if the devices are getting more and more affordable, we are sure you want to keep your gadget to yourself.

Use of drones for executing illegal activities

Last but not least, criminals can use your drone for executing illegal activities. Drones are often registered, and if a missing drone is captured spying on someone, or violating company’s privacy, you may be held responsible for the criminal activity. Knowledgeable hackers may use a drone for accessing forbidden areas such as airports or government buildings. You don’t want your device to be used as a spy machine, do you? Make sure you protect your devices with anti-virus software.

The problem is this kind of devices were created years ago, before cybercrime was considered a real threat. Therefore they do not have the essential security barriers and can be easily hacked in order to perform activities different from their original function

We live in the future already, soon there will be drone-like flying cars available for consumers, and unmanned aerial vehicles will be delivering goods to people in remote locations. Thanks to the drone technology lifeguards may not even have to jump into the water to save a life. Hackers wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of the loopholes so remain vigilant, don’t let them mess with your drone!