An incident last year in Pennsylvania, in which a commercial drone breached a power substation, demonstrates how threat actors might use these devices and other improvised methods to target vulnerable infrastructure. The drone had a thick copper wire attached to it its ends via electrical tape but crashed before it could reach its likely target. A federal government report on the incident emphasized the uniqueness of the incident and the likelihood of malicious intent on the part of the perpetrator(s).

The drone operator has still not been identified. The ability to put homemade explosives on commercial drones suggests this attack vector could also become more lethal. Indeed, in September 2019, drones were used with great effect against energy infrastructure, crippling half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production.

Moreover, threat actors who seek to harm the U.S. have increased calls for attacks against critical infrastructure to induce societal collapse by targeting the systems that underpin our daily lives. These actors are utilizing homemade and commercial materials for nefarious purposes. A domestic violent extremist (DVE) was recently convicted of providing detailed instructions on how to make different types of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in an online forum. He directed “the IEDs be used to target federal law enforcement and critical infrastructure, such as electrical substations,” according to the Justice Department. And WaterISAC previously reported on a group of DVEs who were planning to destroy power stations in the U.S. to accelerate the collapse of society. Additionally, foreign terrorist groups (FTOs) such as the Islamic State routinely advocate for attacks against critical infrastructure. In Iraq, for example, the Islamic State has conducted multiple successful attacks against the Iraqi power grid using IEDs and other weapons. Therefore, operators should  continuously evaluate their security measures given the threats posed by drones and other readily available materials. Read more at HStoday, WIRED, or access a CISA guide on Drone threats below.