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Drones go missing every single day. Whether they’re stolen or end up lost as the result of a crash or flyaway, a tool to help track them down was needed. Enter Stolen Drone Info (SDI). Powered by DroneSec’s internal intelligence platform, SDI scans popular open marketplaces, where drones are likely to turn up, including Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay.
The drone industry is not exactly known for having central repositories of information for users to access. Case in point? Local ordinances. It’s tough to know if you are actually conducting a legal flight in an area when looking at an airspace app such as B4UFly or Aloft. Typically, you’d need to conduct an online search for a city’s drone ordinance. SDI scans various open-source sites for any indication of stolen or missing drones turning up and compiles the information into an easy-to-navigate database.
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Once someone is no longer without their drone, they can log on, choose the make and model and also enter a variety of distinctive traits including a software ID plus the drone and remote controller’s serial number. There are also fields to enter a government registration number, police reference number, if applicable, and any other comments that might be helpful in identifying the exact drone.
When a drone gets stolen, there is no one to help – the manufacturers rarely block or track the device, and aviation authorities just ‘take note.’
According to DroneSec: ‘When a drone gets stolen, there is no one to help – the manufacturers rarely block or track the device, and aviation authorities just ‘take note.’ In addition to tapping into the masses, we can immediately send the signature of a stolen drone to over 300 sensors around the world – in real time. Not only will we help out the everyday person but dissuade nefarious groups from using a system that is ‘hot’ and being actively searched for.’
DroneSec states that a majority of stolen and resold drones are used for criminal activity including illicit drug drops and human trafficking. Identifying factors on your drone can put you at risk for being accused of criminal activity, so it’s important to register a lost or stolen drone immediately with SDI. SDI also advises anyone purchasing a drone from an online marketplace to check their database beforehand to make sure they’re not picking up stolen or e-fenced merchandise.
SDI is free and easy to use. You can even see, on their homepage, a list of the latest lost and found drones.
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This article comes from DP Review and can be read on the original site.
