Predator UAV feeds unencrypted

It looks like the Iranians have found out that the video feedsĀ  from Predator drones are in some cases unencrypted and can be tapped into using a $26,- program called Skygrabber.

FOXNews.com – Iranian-Backed Insurgents Hack U.S. Drones.

Now it turns out that the ROVER system, a hand held video system for infantry, also recieves unencrypted video from all kinds of airborne sources, from U2’s to Harriers, Tornado’s, F-15’s, F-16’s, etc. And can be tapped in the same way.

Gizmodo

Now this is nothing new – some guy was tapping into unencrypted military satellite feeds during the Iraqi wars – and is due in part to bandwidth limitations: the militaries are huge bandwidth hogs and there just isn’t enough to go around for all the tasks they’d like to use, let alone if it was all encrypted.

The question is, can Skygrabber tap targetted drones or is it a haphazard affair?

Robin Edgar

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