You might think you know all the tricks to stay safe when you’re connected to the internet on your smartphone, but a drone called Snoopy might make you think twice. New technology mounted onto a drone could soon be capable of hacking into Wi-Fi networks and accessing smartphones while flying around unmanned.
Hackers in the US have already used this technology to hack into smartphones and steal information such as Amazon passwords, credit card details, and personal addresses straight from users. Luckily for us, Snoopy was only used as part of an experiment by “white hat” hackers to illustrate how drone technology could be used to attack internet connections. The group behind this startling discovery shared their findings last week at a cybersecurity conference in Singapore.
Snoopy is capable of seeking out smartphones with active Wi-Fi internet connections and picking up details about previously accessed networks. Whilst hovering nearby, Snoopy is then able to trick smartphones into logging on to a false internet connection before swiping every piece of information transmitted by unsuspecting users.