Teenager hacks drone to prove cyber attack risk
The IoT refers to internet-connected machinery and household devices that can collect and exchange data using embedded sensors.
CAPE TOWN/ MASSACHUSETTS/ GATWICK AIRPORT (Reuters) - A 13-year-old boy successfully hacked a drone in a stunt aimed at showing how vulnerable web-connected devices are to attacks.
Reuben Paul, who calls himself "Cyber Ninja", took control of the drone in front of an audience at a global cyber security conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
He was able to fly the drone, access its camera and its data.
The stunt, part of an event hosted by cyber security provider Kaspersky Lab, was designed to show the vulnerability of "The Internet of Things" (IoT), Paul said.
The IoT refers to internet-connected machinery and household devices that can collect and exchange data using embedded sensors.
"So your smart homes, your smart devices, your smart toys. All of this is connected and this is the technology that s going to be going into future devices such as autonomous cars, flying cars, things like this," Paul said.
"So if we don t secure it now then connectivity without controls can become catastrophic," he added.
Kaspersky Lab said in a news release the rapid growth of internet-enabled devices and the need to deliver them to market quickly, often left security overlooked. Consumers rarely pay attention to their device security, it added.
The company said there are seven billion internet-connected devices in world, with numbers expected to rise.
"Technology is only going to get bigger and that s the world we re going to be moving into. So make sure that it s secure now so that later we won t have to regret it," Paul added.
Drone sightings caused three days of travel chaos at London s Gatwick Airport in December 2018, resulting in the cancellation or diversion of about 1,000 flights at an estimate cost of more than 50 million pounds ($65,398,250).
In January, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said 43 flights into New Jersey s Newark Liberty International Airport were required to hold after a nearby reported drone sighting.
Paul has gained media attention in the past for his cyber security exploits, speaking at conferences across the world and his hacking of smart toys.
The teenager, who founded a cybersecurity awareness and education organisation for young people, also has a black belt in Chinese martial art Kung Fu and has competed in U.S. national gymnastics competitions.
