FBI remains on the lookout for unauthorized drones during Atlanta's final FIFA World Cup events
As soccer fans on their favorite teams during the FIFA Men's World Cup, federal authorities in Atlanta continue to focus on what's happening in the skies above.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it has seized more than 80 drones that illegally flew into restricted airspace during the World Cup in Atlanta, part of an aggressive security operation designed to protect fans and players during the international tournament.
"Drones have been used in all kinds of capacities, some of them not good. Some of them unsafe," said FBI Special Agent Marlo Graham.
According to the FBI, agents monitor the airspace around match venues using a tracking system that can quickly identify unauthorized drones. When one enters a temporary flight restriction zone, agents can step in.
"You can mitigate the drone and take over the drone, and you can also make contact with the pilot," Graham said.
For security reasons, the FBI would not explain exactly how it takes control of drones.
Georgia Tech graduate Robbie Van Zyl, founder of counter-drone company Askari Defense, said one of the most common methods to stop drones is signal jamming.
"Probably 80% of all our defenses have been in this jamming space or like cyberwarfare space. The big problem is it is reliant on wireless communication," Van Zyl said.
However, he says many of the drones now being used on battlefields no longer depend on constant wireless communication, making traditional jamming less effective.
"A lot of these jamming solutions are very much falling by the wayside," Van Zyl said.
Van Zyl said other methods of stopping drones can include lasers, kinetic systems and, in some cases, missiles.
"This can look like everything from a hunting shotgun which is in some ways very effective in short range," explained Van Zyl.
The FBI says the operation during the World Cup is helping shape security plans for future large-scale events.
"We're taking that threat seriously, and that's why we're engaged in this mitigation capacity," Graham said.
The FBI told CBS News Atlanta all the confiscated drones are being held as the legal process moves forward. A court will ultimately decide what happens to the seized drones.
