Researchers with Ben-Gurion University and Fujitsu warn that open-skies policies permitting the use of drones in populated areas put the privacy and security of people at risk, because threat actors can use drones to carry out cyberattacks.

The researchers consider the proliferation of drones an inevitability, which makes it all the more important that authorities “recognize that [an] open-skies policy [poses] multiple risks” that cannot currently be addressed “as a result of a major scientific gap in this area.” The study recommends governments to improve regulations regarding drone use to make sure that all drones are registered (as is the case in the US) and can be identified by law enforcement.

Read more: Study Highlights Need for Safeguards for Drone Use