From package delivery to props in major sporting events, drones continue to play major roles in everyday life. But are enterprises prepared for “The Rise of the Drones” in their operations? That’s the focus of a new white paper and global survey from global technology association ISACA.

“The Rise of the Drones” outlines some of the potential uses of drone technology in a commercial environment, including business implications and risk considerations, as well as critical questions an enterprise must consider prior to implementing a drone program: 

• What factors must management consider prior to signing off on the acquisition and implementation of a corporate drone program?
• What questions must be asked and answers obtained to enable management to assess the far-ranging risks associated with the use of drones as a strategic business tool?
• What policies and procedures must be in place before the organization deploys its first corporate drone?

The white paper addresses these questions and more, with the intent of preparing management for the inevitable. If an organization wishes to remain competitive in today’s global marketplace, it will eventually look to drones (and their related technologies) as a competitive tool and embrace all that drone technologies have to offer.  

Along with the paper, ISACA polled its global membership to gauge the use of and planning for drones in their respective organizations. Among the findings of that survey: 

• 75 percent say security or privacy are their biggest concern about the business use of drones.
• 65 percent say most organizations that would benefit from the use of drones are unprepared to address the necessary security and privacy requirements.
• 63 percent do not believe their existing staff has sufficient expertise to evaluate the security of drones.
• Just 25 percent believe the benefits of drones outweigh the security and privacy risks—but an additional 48 percent say the benefits will outweigh the risks in the future, when those concerns are addressed more thoroughly. 

“Rushing to implement drone technology without first being properly prepared can result in both a legal and financial disaster. An uncontrolled drone program can also cause significant damage to the organization’s reputation,” said Albert Marcella, Ph.D., CISA, CISM, author of the ISACA paper. “However, with the right controls, policies and procedures in place, a drone program can offer significant technical and competitive advantage.”

The white paper and a related checklist for organizations can be downloaded free of charge at www.isaca.org/drones