OT - US Predator drones have hacking problems

[Abbott Shaull]

Originally Posted by cavtroop

Reading up on it, these were designed in the early 90's, before encryption was common/cheap/understood real well. Looks like someone made the (horrendous) decision to not encrypt the last leg of the transmission to save on time/money/headaces. Bad, bad bad call. Hopefully they can be retrofitted cheap, this is a big deal.

These are 'only' insurgents right now - imagine the hell that could happen should we face a more technologically advanced enemy.

Yeah, that is why I am not surprise they aren't encrypted, what does surprise me it took as long for the Bad Guys to figure it out and for it to get to the Media. Everyone wonders why we let the Russian run rough of the Georgia last summer, or everyone else not too worried. Now only if the guys who are trooping around on our side could see what they were watching.