back to article South Korea to test grenade-launching drones

South Korea has this week announced two new weapons: grenade-launching drones for its military, and anti-ransomware software for businesses. The nation's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has revealed that in 2022 South Korea will test grenade-launching drones that can be remotely controlled over a range of two …

  1. A random security guy

    A hacker could ransom the grenade drones. Anti ransomware seem like a fraud.

    Nothing else to say

  2. Neil Barnes Silver badge
    Mushroom

    So... they're concerned about IT security

    and yet they build a deadly weapon which is controlled by IT... what could possibly go wrong?

  3. Chris G

    Drones

    You can use them to record the stunning power and beauty of nature like this video of the Geldingadalur eruption in Iceland;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=162di_eriFo

    Or you can blow things up!

    My guess is the big money is in blowing things up and killing people/

    1. Cederic Silver badge

      Re: Drones

      But but but.. firing grenades into a volcano.

      Think big!

      1. Kane
        Mushroom

        Re: Drones

        "But but but.. firing grenades into a volcano.

        Think big!"

        Nukes.

        Think bigger!

    2. elsergiovolador Silver badge

      Re: Drones

      Or you can vaccinate people. Can you imagine vaccination drones shooting people with needles.

      1. vtcodger Silver badge

        Re: Drones

        "Can you imagine vaccination drones shooting people with needles.[?]"

        Me? Not really. But I'm sure that some of our crackpot right-wing politicians here in the US not only can imagine it, but are mobilizing right wing militas to shut down the criminal mobs of undocumented, mask wearing, aliens who they are sure are roving the countriside doing that very thing.

  4. Ken G Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Gunpowder filled?

    Are you sure it's not something more recent?

    1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
      Mushroom

      Re: Gunpowder filled?

      Well, the Gunpowder Plot was in 1605.

      1. TimMaher Silver badge
        Thumb Up

        Re: Gunpowder filled?

        Just after 4p.m. then?

        I wanted the Guy Fawkes icon but then would have to post as AC.

    2. PTW
      Pint

      Re: Gunpowder filled?

      Ken, I came here to say exactly that! Have a beer. Guess Gaz is too busy with crApple's super snooping

    3. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. _LC_
    Facepalm

    If only they could

    If only they could combine this with Amazon deliveries, all our problems could be solved.

    /* sarcasm off */

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: If only they could

      ...but what if you press the 'return to sender' button on your phone?! f you could select a less-direct route, say, passing by a window of a particularly disagreeable politician... Possibilities are endless in the new, brave world of human inventions!

  6. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    Anti-ransomware software ?

    Isn't that what Anti-Virus software is supposed to help with ?

    Aren't the two going to clash ?

    Because AV software doesn't like having anybody else on its turf.

    1. Boothy

      Re: Anti-ransomware software ?

      Perhaps it's just to identify issues with potential target systems, rather than directly target the malware itself? As you say, AV should be doing that already.

      e.g.

      Is your OS current and patched

      Are you running up to date AV

      Does any software your using have any know vulnerabilities?

      Do you have a functioning and tested backup and restore service?

      Just a thought anyway!

      1. Lil Endian Silver badge

        Re: Anti-ransomware software ?

        Have you deployed Cisco gear?

    2. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

      Re: Anti-ransomware software ?

      Isn't "Anti-ransomware software" simply another term for "a decent working backup and DR system"?

      Because even the best "anti-ransomeware" software powered by ground unicon horn, rocking horse poop and finely powered fairy dusy will miss the ransonware at some point, and relying that as your get-out-of-jail-free card is a false crutch which I can see beancounters using an excuse for even less investment in proper DR. An excuse that will bite them sooner or later. Bite them hard.

    3. Rol

      Re: Anti-ransomware software ?

      A background task constantly reviewing writes to files/databases. Not every write, but polling enough to quickly ascertain whether all is well, or that the last write to field x was outside of the defined parameters for that field and therefore suspect.

      This would require a lot of tuning by the system admin for it to work effectively, and hence not something that would be bundled with AV software.

      I did have a go myself at protecting a mortgage / customer db from such an attack, which involved an admin machine that checked dummy records, set up at the beginning, end and dotted all over in-between. If the returned dummy record did not fit the algorithm then the administrator would be alerted.

      It never came to fruition though as the admin refused to have the surgically implanted electric shocker fitted to their genitalia, and hence would just carry on fiddling with their golf clubs while the db burned.

  7. elsergiovolador Silver badge

    Batteries

    When lightweight batteries get invented that will allow drones to fly 24h+ non-stop, it will be pretty much game over.

    An army could mass produce them and then when time comes just release swarms of them into enemy cities.

    This is why China has invested heavily in Tik Tok so they can get an enormous training set on how to recognise westerners in their homes.

    Drone will fly in through the window, do the "job" and onto the next home.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: When lightweight batteries get invented that will allow drones to fly 24h+ non-stop

      I'm skeptical about the 'when' of the 'lightweight batteries', this field seems to have lagged behind, for years. But, if you ignore the 'lightweight' bit, the non-stop issue has already been covered, think 'loitering munition' and it's not a term from a crappy sci-fi mag, nosir, it's clear & present danger. The future is here and the business a-booming :(

    2. DS999 Silver badge
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Batteries

      I can't tell if you're joking or you really believe that about TikTok. The fact I can't is a telling example of how much nutjob conspiracy theories have been commonplace in the past few years.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Batteries

      What if you're not dancing when it arrives, will it still recognise you?

  8. Sgt_Oddball
    Trollface

    The second one is of more interest to me....

    Think of the hijinks that could ensue using a drone mounted up with a speaker... Imagine a whole swarm of them (some really dinky ones holding the tweeters and some bigger drones for the sub-woofers) at an outdoor festival or rave party.

    It'd be quite something to have a speaker array airborne above a crowd.

    Alternatively, having a lens speaker to whisper into peoples ears from a distance if only to troll them. No end to the fun*!

    * until the batteries run out, natch.

    1. elsergiovolador Silver badge

      Re: The second one is of more interest to me....

      Or drones with scissors giving random people free haircuts!

      1. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge
        Devil

        Re: The second one is of more interest to me....

        Just sharpen the rotor blades.

      2. Lil Endian Silver badge
        Pint

        Re: The second one is of more interest to me....

        Lucky I didn't have a mouthful of coffee when I read that!

    2. Lil Endian Silver badge

      Re: The second one is of more interest to me....

      Sgt_Oddball: * until the batteries run out, natch.

      No probs! We'll just run a cable from the jenny!

      1. Sgt_Oddball
        Trollface

        Re: The second one is of more interest to me....

        You can run a cable to her but I don't see how that'll help?

        1. Lil Endian Silver badge

          Jenny Helps:

          Jenny puts out when on the end of a lead! (Around 5kVA IIRC!)

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hope the drone is cheap

    A friend of mine thought launching bombs and rockets from a drone would be a good idea.

    Suffice to say, if the drone crashes for whatever reason, you don't get much of the drone back. Also, model rocket engines can burn through that thin aluminum deflector you thought would protect the drone electronics.

    Fortunately my excuse was "I'm a software guy!"

  10. Lil Endian Silver badge

    "back-up, encryption and restoration systems"

    I got shivers thinking about uk.gov offering this type of service.

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