How Drones are Used By Criminals to Target Businesses and Organisations

Criminals always find new ways to target and scope out commercial premises. This can include construction sites, superyachts, solar farms and other sites. In this article, we focus on how criminals target businesses by using drones

A recent article in The Times highlighted how thieves are now using drones to target farms before stealing vehicles, equipment and machinery.

Additionally, there are further concerns about the rising theft of tractor GPS systems. Furthermore, pirates and organised criminals use drones to gain intelligence on superyachts and warehouse operations.

In this article, we offer insight into how criminals use drones to gain intelligence and target these sites and environments.

We also provide links to related content from our ever-growing bank of blogs and guides.

Let’s start with today’s article:

Let’s take a quick look at each.

Before we do, if you are in charge of security for any of the above types of business, you will likely have vast perimeters to protect.

Here are a few links to our perimeter security services:

• Perimeter security
• Perimeter protection and detection
• Perimeter CCTV

Construction sites

Construction sites are often the targeted by criminals due to the rich pickings on offer.

Plant machinery, GPS trackers, tools and other equipment are valuable items on the black market.

Related reading:

• Construction site security guide 

Criminals using 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. Traditionally, when scoping out a premises, criminals may take a drive around a site’s perimeter

Solar Farms

Utility scale solar farms are often targeted by criminals for the 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 to deter solar panel theft, protect revenue & secure your site
• Why solar farms need security

Criminals using drones to target solar farms

Criminals can and will use drones to:

• Understand the layout of the site and the surrounding area. Having this intel will enable criminals plan how they will remove 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 camerasthere are, and where are they placed
• Avoid their car number plates being picked up by ANPR or standard CCTV cameras. Traditionally, when scoping out a premises, criminals may take a drive around a site’s perimeter.

Superyachts

Drones are used by pirates and other criminals to carry out their own surveillance on superyachts they are looking 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.

Criminals using drones to target superyachts

Pirates and criminals will use drones to target superyachts to:

• Gain intelligence on access points
• Target individuals 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

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 and door entry systems in schools
• School security threats & risks: six examples of crime in schools

Criminals using 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.

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 to improve farm security, deter criminals & thieves
• Rural security checklist – how to protect your rural business

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 is 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 get away across fields and through any gaps in the perimeter

Warehouses and distribution centres

Criminals target warehouses and distribution centres for the goods they store.

Sites housings 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 to improve warehouse security
• Warehouse security: protecting premises with CCTV monitoring

Criminals using 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 there any gaps in the handover process
• Gaun intelligance on any security vulnerabilites such as areas without surveillance coverage