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Dutch Hackers Create Wi-Fi Sniffing Drone

Posted by timothy on from the junior-birdman dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The WASP, or Wireless Aerial Surveillance Platform, has been built out of a hobby-grade airframe and open source Ardupilot autopilot, reports sUASnews. In the words of the Rabbit-Hole website, it's a 'Small Scale, Open Source UAV using off the shelf components. Designed to provide a vehicle to project cyber-offensive and defensive capabilities, and visual / electronic surveillance over distance cheaply and with little risk.'" Want a drone of your own? The makers have some pointers to helpful resources.

6 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. Anonymous Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    If you can't work out how to do this yourself without this article, it's going to be of no use to you anyway.

  2. This and Google. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What's the difference between this and Google sniffing wi-fi, and getting flack for it? Makes no sense why Google gets whacked for something like this.

    1. Re:This and Google. by LingNoi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There is no difference and I find it funny how the horde of Google bashers and privacy nuts don't appear until there are certain keywords in a summary.

  3. cue the anti-aircraft weapons by FudRucker · · Score: 2, Insightful

    if i see some little drones buzzing my home i will turn the garden hose on it.

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
  4. Re:Yes but... by asynchronous13 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's technically illegal to fly UAVs without visual contact in visual flight rules air space.

    Not quite.

    The FAA controls the national airspace with a white-list approach. Everything is illegal unless a specific category of safe flight has been defined. AC 91-57 defines the Model Aircraft Operating Standards and creates a specific legal exemption for vehicles flown for recreational purposes. This exemption also applies to UAVs, provided they are flown for recreational purposes. However, there is no exemption for operating a UAV for commercial purposes. Even flying an R/C aircraft is illegal if the operator attaches a camera and attempts to sell the resulting aerial imagery!

    The FAA recognizes that people and companies other than modelers might be flying UAS with the mistaken understanding that they are legally operating under the authority of AC 91–57. AC 91–57 only applies to modelers, and thus specifically excludes its use by persons or companies for business purposes.
    -- from FAA–2006–25714, Unmanned Aircraft Operations in the National Airspace System; Notice of Policy; Opportunity for Feedback (FAA link to pdf is down right now)

    Technically, you or I could fly a 1:1 scale F-22 Raptor, but only if it were for recreational purposes.

  5. Re:Another Obvious Application by Israfels · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'd be more worried about the "peaceful protesters" throwing stuff at my expensive flying camera.