Drone technology is quickly advancing, creating new possibilities across industries and sectors. These connected vehicles are now being piloted for commercial use (aiding in quick and effortless deliveries), defence and recovery purposes.

In this vein, the UK government, led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, is exploring the use of drones in search-and-rescue missions. At present, they are being tested for reconnaissance purposes. Ideally, this would allow search-and-rescue teams to have a greater understanding of the potential dangers of a recovery mission, as well as help focus their search efforts.

And, search-and-rescue and military use cases are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to drones. Much has been made of Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Amazon’s trials of commercial drone usage, thought it will likely be some time before there is any kind of wide-scale rollout. Drones are even in consideration for other reconnaissance use cases, such as for research purposes over forests and National Parks in the US.

However, there are several further developments that must be achieved before we see the widespread usage of drones. As with any autonomous or connected vehicle, the communications between the drone and the network – including the command centre and other moving vehicles – must be secured to ensure safety. Without this key element, drones have the potential to be redirected or hijacked.

There is still much development to be done to harness the power of drones. As the technology continues to develop, ensuring the security of machine-to-machine communications will in turn ensure the safety of the drone and the network.