Jürgen Rumeney is a security expert at Siemens and a member of the standardization committee DKE/AK 713.0.2. He focuses on how a dynamic technology like drones influences the requirements for future security systems.
| PrivatDrone shows now captivate thousands of people. Would you personally attend such an event – or does your skepticism as a security expert prevail?
Jürgen Rumeney: Personally, I have never been to a drone show, but I can understand why they fascinate so many people. However, this example also shows how humans deal with technological achievements: initially, the focus is on playfulness – until boundaries become visible. To ensure these boundaries are not crossed, rules are needed. That is why there are clear regulations today: depending on flight altitude, weight, location, and purpose of a drone, different legal provisions apply, sometimes even requiring a license. Anyone flying a drone over 250 grams must register with the Federal Aviation Office.
Since 2021, an EU regulation governs drone operations. But technological development is advancing rapidly. How can regulation keep up?
That is the crucial point. Regulation almost always lags behind development. If a drone, for example, flies over a company site and takes images not intended for the public, that already poses a legal issue. It becomes even more serious when private areas are affected. That is why, in the DKE working group 713.0.2, we ask: what new security requirements arise? We consider scenarios such as “attacks,” “detection and verification,” or “maintenance.” Our goal is to continuously assess technological developments – and to adapt standards early. Because the path from a guideline to a binding standard can be long.
In your working groups, you also discuss espionage or sabotage drones. How real is this threat?
It is absolutely real. Drones are already being used for espionage – for example, to photograph components, measure prototypes, or gather information about critical infrastructure. In the future, industrial companies will need to consider multi-sensor systems that can distinguish between desired and undesired drones. In the field of surveillance, it will be necessary to rethink existing standards: on the one hand, to allow legitimate drone use, and on the other, to detect potentially dangerous systems early and neutralize them.The key point is that we must not only use dynamic technologies like drones but truly understand them – and continuously assess them from a security perspective.
