Comments on: Playstation Predator

By: andrew

andrew — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:50:18 +0000

Yep. Someone in military intelligence may have winced when this story hit the news, but not for the reasons we might first assume.

By: andrew

andrew — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:38:51 +0000

Digitalized data streams are encrypted in real time whenever I make an Amazon purchase. Maybe al Qaeda should consider ordering some Monty Python DVDs. (Wink wink, nudge nudge)

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:50:58 +0000

so long as the video is needed to fly it.

It isn’t. Off the shelf FlightSim with a GoogleEarth GPS nav make for a great autopilot flight plan. Especially in the case of loosing coms.

What gets me is if the AV comms on Air Force One are encrypted/scrambled, you’d think the parts are already available, like yesterday.

What this demonstrates if that if multi million dollar milsat comms are hackable for 29.95, the “intergrated platform” concept has a long way to go in keeping the element of surprise as an edge.

By: Docelder

Docelder — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:46:13 +0000

If people are intercepting the video with $25 programs then the video feed isn’t encrypted at all. Yes, encrypted feeds can be cracked, but probably never within the time frame of one of these flights. I would think, encrypt the feed and rotate the encryption keys. Damn, now that I think of it more… You probably need the video feed to fly the thing. To bring it down, you just need to flood that feed with packet injections. You don’t need actual control over the drone to block the control of it so long as the video is needed to fly it. If the feed can’t be protected, then neither can the network traffic for the feed. Thinking more on it, I find it hard to believe that the video and flight controls are separate networks… given the designers of this thing thought encryption was too expensive. Gimme a break. Goodness, I think I could figure several better ways to do this myself right off the top. This is dangerous and these need to be grounded now and this feed encrypted.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:00:06 +0000

Without a doubt the militant mindset is to think of themselves as braver and more willing to sacrifice than the Western invaders, so perhaps it is inevitable we are always one step behind taking advantage of every asset to exploit the enemy. Still, hopefully the military wouldn’t allow any feeds of importance to run unsecure and as long as the insurgents can’t control the drones coming and don’t know where they are it doesn’t sounds like a huge risk factor. There could be a campaign of misinformation involved at several levels as well.

By: I'm a Linda too

I'm a Linda too — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:47:08 +0000

You didn’t know they were comedians? Nahhhh, you jest.

Yes, I mean really, what is the cost of encrypting the links. And, relative no doubt to the f@cking cost of the drones…wait, excuse me, we paid 5 million a piece…now 12 million and they can’t offer a secure link? Hellooo? That should be part of the deal and if they can’t do it, they shouldn’t be making them!

Who do we have building these things, Diebold?

By: Smart-Jazz-Just Me

Smart-Jazz-Just Me — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:37:47 +0000

Please even if encrypted the UAV is still vulnerable. There is a built in fail safe for these types of concerns….

The story is not all truth…..

By: Sonic Ninja Kitty

Sonic Ninja Kitty — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:18:21 +0000

Your tax dollars at work. Think of all the schools and bridges the money could have built in that area (or here).

Isn’t it obvious that war is about enriching the military industrial complex and not about “freedom”, as they so try to brainwash us into thinking?

The explanation for not encrypting was cost.

Are they kidding?

By: I'm a Linda too

I'm a Linda too — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:02:59 +0000

Amazing, isn’t it? “This is not yet part of the dispute? WTF….Oh…but when they discover it, it will be?

oy vey!

I know I feel secure (sarascm-just in case)

By: Docelder

Docelder — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:34:32 +0000

Honestly, if people know enough about these flights to intercept the video feeds from them, then the videos themselves are the least of our worries. Somebody is probably working on being able to take over the control of the flight itself. Is it encrypted? Is the control of the drone at least carried over private and secured networks if the video feed is not? The idiocy of this in the world we live in with $5M and $12M dollar units and they cant protect them with secure tsl? For crying out loud, you can’t buy something from Amazon without the transaction being encrypted. This drug war thing… obviously we aren’t serious about it for whatever the reason. The problem isn’t Mexico’s it is ours, we are the market. O.K. in the end it’s just a plants flower. Not at all worth people’s lives. We have bigger fish to fry it sounds like.

By: Hot Librarian

Hot Librarian — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:07:54 +0000

Perhaps one could fly over Wall St & take out a few undesirables there also.

That I’ gotta see.