Concerns Raised About Telemetry Being Uploaded To Chinese Servers

It would appear that the U.S. Department of the Interior has banned internal use of DJI sUAS because they upload telemetry data to the cloud, and Chinese servers.

Writing on the blog interiography, IT and cyber security expert David Kovar says that an internal DOI memo appeared briefly on the Facebook group “Commercial sUAS Operators” on July 7th before being taken down.

In the memo, Dennis Bosak SSA with the Department of the Interior's Office of Law Enforcement and Security, wrote that the government's Office of Acquisition Management (OAM) and the aviation manager for the DOI has spoken earlier, and "[d]uring that conversation we learned that they have banned the use of DJI products (which include the popular Phantom and Inspire aircraft) as they discovered that their products record telemetry information, to include routes flown, altitudes, etc., and send that recorded information to DJI each time the aircraft is plugged into a computer to perform a software/firmware update.

"As DJI is a Chinese company the security issue is readily apparent.

"OAM highly recommends that, before choosing any particular aircraft, from any manufacturer, especially those that might be used for sensitive purposes, that your technical people fully understand what information may be transmitted, to whom it might be transmitted to, and whether it matters to your program.

"Please distribute this information as widely as possible."

Kovar said he contacted Bosak and he had confirmed the statement but would not elaborate, and said getting further details would require a request in writing.

Kovar also reported that there was a story making the rounds of the Internet that the DOI had retracted its ban or it did not ever go into effect, but that Bosak stood by his statement.

(Image from file)

FMI: Blog Post