Researchers Discover Military Drones Can be Hacked

This is not good.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Don't panic, but you know those unmanned drones that the U.S. military is steadily relying on for overseas combat missions? Yeah, turns out they're hackable. A team of researchers at the University of Texas bet the Department of Homeland Security $1,000 that it could hack and obtain control of an airborne drone. 

The team of researchers walked away $1,000 richer. 

According to Mashable, the researchers, lead by Dr. Todd E. Humphreys, were able to get control of the drone by "overloading it with false signals that were precisely matched up with authentic satellite signals. Once that happened, the drone ignored the original pilot, instead obeying the hackers’ every command." 

Head over to Mashable to read more about how Dr. Humphreys and his team were able to hack the military drone and why he believes GPS reform is the only thing that can prevent this from happening. 

RELATED: 10 Amazing Drones You Can Buy

[via Mashable

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