As technology evolves, criminals always find new ways to target businesses. As a result, you won’t be surprised to read criminals use drones to scope out sites as they plan their attacks.
This can include industrial sites, superyachts, warehouses solar farms, and other sites containing rich pickings for crooks.
This article discusses how criminals deploy drones to target sites and offers insights into effective security systems to mitigate these threats.
We also provide links to related content from our ever-growing bank of blogs and guides.
Table of contents
Do criminals use drones to target businesses?
Unfortunately so.
It’s a fast and easy way for them to monitor potential targets and gather information without being detected.
Historically, criminals scope out premises by:
- Visiting the site at night to check for any obvious security vulnerabilities
- Using kids under the age of criminal responsibility to trespass and collect intel
- Going online and using Google Maps and Streetview to check for getaway routes
- Checking the level of company car park security to engage in vehicle theft
Technological advancements have expanded drone usage beyond hobbyists to include petty thieves and organised criminals.
As a result, businesses need to take on proactive security measures to address the threats of theft, break ins, and vandalism.
Why do criminals use drones?
This differs from site to site, and industry to industry.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the reasons they use drones to plan their criminal activity:
Equipped for covert surveillance, drones allow criminals to monitor security patrols, spot security vulnerabilities and co-ordinate criminal activity.
Furthermore, they enable criminals to go undetected, and avoid prosecution while they scope out a site.
What types of businesses are targeted?
If you are a business or organisation operating in the following sectors you could be exposed to these risks:
- Offices & commercial premises
- Construction sites
- Solar farms
- Industrial sites
- Superyachts
- Schools
- Farms
- Warehouses & logistic centres
Let’s get started.
Offices & commercial premises
Offices and commercial premises are typically unstaffed after hours.
Consequently, items like computers, cash, mobile phones, and company vehicles left overnight in the car park are prime targets for theft.
Related reading:
How & why do criminals use drones to target offices?
Crooks use this type of technology to:
- Spot any vehicles regularly left in the car park overnight, unattended
- Gauge when guards may be patrolling external areas of the site to spot security gaps
- Capture footage of the inside of the building where ladders would previously be required
Find out more about our office CCTV systems.
Experts in CCTV surveillance, remote monitoring, and perimeter security.
Construction sites
Due to the rich pickings on offer, construction sites are at risk of being targeted by criminals using drones.
Plant machinery, GPS trackers, tools, and other equipment are valuable items on the black market.
Related reading:
How & why do criminals use drones to target construction sites?
Here are a few of the ways drones are used to target building sites:
- Gaining intelligence on where machinery is kept overnight. Having this intel will help a criminal or gang of crooks plan how and when they will strike
- Spotting potential access points. People wandering around a perimeter may look suspicious or picked up by CCTV. Drones can help the criminal navigate around the perimeter looking for potential access points or vulnerabilities
- Checking to see when security guards are patrolling. If they gain this intel, they may spot a window of opportunity
- Avoiding their car number plates being picked up by ANPR or standard CCTV cameras.
Find out more about our construction site security services today.
Experts in CCTV, remote monitoring, perimeter security, and access control.
Solar Farms
Utility-scale solar farms are often targeted by criminals for copper wiring and panels.
Cooper is a valuable commodity, as are solar panels on the black market.
Owners and operators need to secure these sites to avoid being the victims of crime and to maintain operational continuity.
Related reading:
How & why do criminals use drones to target solar farms
Criminals can and will use drones to:
- Understand the layout of the site and the surrounding area. This intel helps criminals plan how to steal the panels, load them into a vehicle, and get away.
- Scope out the level of security in place. For example, they will easily learn how many cameras there are, and where they are placed
- Avoid their car number plates being picked up by ANPR or standard CCTV cameras. Traditionally, when scoping out premises, criminals may take a drive around a site’s perimeter.
Find out more about our solar farm security services today.
Experts in CCTV, remote monitoring, perimeter security, and alarms.
Industrial sites
Criminals may use drones to scope out industrial sites, and as a result, those in charge of security need to deploy robust measures to protect their sites.
The information they gain from this activity can help plan thefts, allowing criminals to bypass defences more effectively and pinpoint valuable assets.
Related reading
How and why do criminals use drones to target industrial sites?
Criminals may use drones to:
- Offer them a discreet way to observe sites, and assess security gaps
- Gather intelligence on facility layouts, security measures, and employee behaviours for precise attacks
- Allow criminals to plan thefts without physical risk to them or their accomplices
- Pinpoint valuable assets and entry points, making illegal activities less risky
Find out more about our industrial security services today.
Experts in sureveillance, CCTV monitoring, perimeter security, and access control.
Superyachts
Social media Pirates and other criminals use drones to conduct surveillance on superyachts they intend to target.
Billionaires own superyachts. Therefore, as targets for pirates and sophisticated criminals the potential gains, albeit ill-gotten, are vast.
Superyacht owners and operators need to protect their superyachts from a range of critical security threats.
Whilst nosey individuals flying a drone of a superyacht is one thing, pirates and organised criminals are another.
How & why do criminals use drones to target superyachts
Pirates and criminals will use drones to target superyachts to:
- Gain intelligence on potential access points
- Target vessels by gaining intelligence on their regular movements
- Spot vulnerabilities in the security set up
- Understand if armed security guards are onboard
Related reading:
- How to protect superyachts from critical security threats
- The 10 best ways to protect superyachts from pirates and paparazzi
Find out more about our superyacht security systems today.
Experts in inbound threat detection, advanced CCTV, themrmal surveillance and vessel lockdown solutions.
Schools
There are various security threats a school faces. These include anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and other on-site risks.
Furthermore, schools are at risk of burglary due to the expensive equipment they house, such as computers, tablets, servers and more.
Related reading:
- The importance of CCTV cameras in schools
- A guide to access control for schools
- School security threats & risks
How & why do criminals use drones to target schools
Sophisticated criminals can and will use drones to:
- Spot potential gaps in the perimeter – easy access to get into the grounds provides and better opportunity to commit crime.
- Size up the site from the outside – what are the easiest routes in and out?
- Avoid their car number plates being picked up by ANPR or standard CCTV cameras – when scoping out a premises, criminals often take a drive around a site’s perimeter.
Find out more about our school security system services today.
Experts in CCTV, door entry perimeter security, and alarms.
Farms
Rural crime is rising and costing the UK economy more and more each year. Farms provide criminals with a range of opportunity.
Tractors, quad bikes and other machinery can more than help crooks earn a few quid on the black market.
Fly tipping has become rife.
Livestock theft has been on the rise.
Related reading
How & why criminals using drones to target farms and rural businesses
Organised criminals can and will use drones to:
- Scope out the premises and see what’s on offer.
- Gain intel on where tractors, quad bikes and machinery are kept
- Check out any potential access points and exits – where farms are off the beaten track, criminals stealing quad bikes may look to make a getaway across fields and through any gaps in the perimeter
Find out more about our farm security system services today.
Experts in CCTV, access control, perimeter security, and alarms.
Warehouses and logistics centres
Criminals target warehouses and logistics centres for the goods they store.
Sites housing hundreds of laptops, tablets, TVs and other sought-after items are rich pickings for criminals.
Warehouses and distribution centres often operate sites with a vast perimeter.
These perimeters may be protected but criminals will be able to get a good understanding of ways out, and where things are situated, if they can see over the fence.
Related reading:
How criminals use drones to target warehouses
Criminals can and will use drones to:
- Understand the layout of the site. Criminals can spot when deliveries are made, the frequency and more
- See where and when security guards are patrolling. They will want to know if there are any gaps in the handover process
- Gain intelligence on any security vulnerabilites such as areas without surveillance coverage
Find out more about our warehouse security system services today
Experts in CCTV, remote monitoring, access control, perimeter security and alarms.
How criminals use drones to target sites – summary
As you can see, there are a whole host of reasons thieves deploy drones to target a range of businesses in a variety of sectors.
From gaining intelligence on potential vulnerabilities, to spotting getaway routes criminals it’s clear the above mentioned sites are at risk of theft and intrusion.
Read the last section of this guide to learn about the different types of security systems we recommend to protect your site.
Recommended security systems
To protect sites against the risk of theft and break ins we highly recommend investing in:
- Remote CCTV monitoring
- Perimeter surveillance
Here’s some detail on each type of system we recommend:
Remote CCTV monitoring
If you are looking for 24/7 surveillance, and a solution that is much more cost effective than employing guards, CCTV monitoring ticks those boxes.
Threats are dealt with in real time, and the authorities are dispatched as soon as a threat is spotted and confirmed.
Click on the above link to learn more about this advanced surveillance solution.
Perimeter security
As mentioned earlier in this article, criminals look for vulnerabilities to exploit.
As a result, perimeter security systems are the perfect solution to protect your site’s first line of defence.
If you are concerned about your site’s security, 0800 689 1835 call now to talk to an expert.
