AST Digital Magazine March 2016 | Page 18

1 2 Volume 2 AirMap Security Experts Usher in a Safe Future for Drones March 2016 Edition Sky?” amongst other distinguished professionals on the AirMap Board of Advisors. AirMap provides UAS and air traffic managers access to real-time airspace awareness and to a secure communication platform. AirMap CEO Ben Marcus explains, “We’re excited to have Jared and Tom joining us. Over the next several years, predominant UAS value drivers will transition from recreational operations within visual line of sight to commercial operations beyond visual line of sight. The addition of these safety and security experts to the AirMap team ensures we deliver a robust platform to exceed the expectations of industry and government partners today and into the future.” As an initial project, Ablon, Crocker, Marcus, and AirMap EVP Dr. Gregory S. McNealcoauthored white paper “Robust and Scalable UAS Registration,” available today by visiting: https://airmap.app.box.com/AirMap-WhitePaper-UAS-Registr Millions of unmanned aircraft depend on AirMap services for flight safety. Leading drone manufacturers including DJI & 3DRobotics pass real-time airspace intelligence to their customers using the AirMap Airspace API. Hundreds of application developers are working with the AirMap Software Development Kit (SDK) to enhance their products with airspace information and services. AirMap, the leading provider of airspace services for drones, announced Thursday information security expert Jared Ablon joined the company as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Lieutenant General Thomas G. McInerney (USAF Ret.) joined the company’s Board of Advisors. As Chief Information Security Officer, Ablon is responsible for securing what has become the leading network for realtime information exchange related to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). As CISO, his purview also includes the development of future-thinking protocols for authenticating UAS and their operators, filing of secure flight plan trajectories, and detecting and defending against intrusions from bad actors. Prior to joining AirMap, Ablon worked at MITRE Corporation, where he led efforts to ensure security of next generation GPS navigation systems and other communications technologies for multiple U.S. Air Force programs. He began his career at the U.S. Department of Defense where he led large teams of security experts and tackled seemingly intractable problems by developing cutting-edge cryptanalysis, network exploitation, and vulnerability analysis security technologies. Ablon holds a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. in Applied and Computational Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland. Thomas G. McInerney, a highly-decorated retired United States Air Force Lieutenant General, joined AirMap’s Board of Advisors and now heads its security committee. McInerney started his Air Force career as a pilot and flew 407 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Prior to retirement, McInerney’s last duty assignment was as Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force,Washington, D.C. McInerney also served of Commander of the 11th Air Force (Alaskan Air Command), Alaskan NORAD Region, and Joint Task Force Alaska. McInerney joins Dr. Steven Crocker, Chairman of ICANN, and Stuart Banner, Law Professor at University of California at Los Angeles and author of “Who Owns the About AirMap AirMap is the leading provider of airspace services for drones. AirMap’s real-time services are available to manufacturers through an API and through an SDK for application developers. The founders of AirMap are among the world’s foremost experts on drone technology, aviation, and policy. The company believes that drones are changing the world in incredible ways, and that providing accurate airspace information empowers innovators to deliver valuable products and services to end users. AirMap is a member of the Small UAV Coalition, Dronecode Foundation, NASA Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) program, and serves on the FAA’s UAS registration task force. For more information, http://www.airmap.io visit AirMap online: 18