World Cup security planners race to counter drone risks

LOS ANGELES, June 10 : Security planners for the World Cup are preparing for drones to pose one of the tournament's most complicated threats, as officials seek to protect stadiums, fan zones, team hotels, training sites and transit routes across multiple U.S. cities and jurisdictions.

Industry executives and U.S. officials said the threat ranges from careless spectators seeking social media footage to operators conducting surveillance or attempting to disrupt matches. 

Melissa Swisher, chief revenue officer of SkySafe, a drone-detection and airspace security company, said inexpensive aircraft have "fundamentally changed" security planning for major sporting events because they can enter restricted areas before authorities can react.

"A thousand-dollar drone that's going 40 to 45 miles per hour could cross two miles in under three minutes," Swisher said. "By the time somebody sees it, that's already over."

Swisher said the most likely use around the World Cup may be surveillance rather than an aircraft carrying a payload. Drones could be used to study security patterns, monitor team movements or obtain unauthorized footage. Others may be flown by hobbyists, media or fans who do not understand temporary flight restrictions, she said.

BYPASSES TRADITIONAL SECURITY SYSTEMS

Drones can bypass conventional stadium security such as bollards, magnetometers and expanded pedestrian perimeters, said Tom Adams, director of public safety at counter-drone company DroneShield and a retired FBI agent.

"You have something that can overcome all those traditional security measures and get right over everything," Adams said. "In a lot of cases, it's just a careless and clueless person who wants to get a cool picture to put on their social media