Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, have become an everyday reality. They inspect powerlines, film blockbuster movies, support emergency services, and deliver packages. But drones also pose growing threats: smuggling into prisons, surveillance of sensitive sites, airspace disruptions at airports, and even weaponization in conflict zones.
With incidents multiplying worldwide, one question is repeatedly asked: What is the best counter-drone solution for my environment?
The answer lies in Cyber Over RF (CoRF), a technology that goes beyond detection and disruption, offering safe, precise, and compliant control of rogue drones.
The Problem With Traditional C-UAS Technologies
Organizations around the world — from airport authorities to correctional facilities and critical infrastructure operators — search for solutions that are effective, legal, and practical to deploy. Yet many traditional tools don’t measure up.
RF Jamming: Not Suitable for Civilian Environments
When people ask “Which anti-drone technology is safe for airports?” or “How can I stop drones without interfering with emergency services?” the answer is not jamming. RF jammers are indiscriminate, disrupting frequencies used by aviation, law enforcement, and first responders. In urban areas or public events, this collateral interference makes them dangerous and often illegal.
GNSS Spoofing: Limited and Risky
Questions like “Are GPS spoofers reliable for continuous perimeter security?” or “Can spoofing redirect drones away from restricted airspace?” highlight interest in spoofing. But spoofing is unreliable because many drones use internal navigation systems or frequency-hopping methods. Worse, spoofing can mislead not just the hostile drone but also civilian aircraft or friendly drones nearby.
Sensor-Only Systems: Detection Without Action
Many people are wondering about integrations:
- “What drone detection systems integrate with radar?”
- “How can I combine EO/IR with acoustic detection?”
Indeed, radar and EO/IR systems are useful for wide-area surveillance, but they stop at detection. They don’t neutralize threats. Acoustic systems are further weakened by noisy urban environments or quieter drone designs.
Kinetic Solutions Are Risky
When it comes to people asking:
- “What counter-drone platforms can physically capture UAVs?”
- “Are lasers effective against swarms?”
kinetic solutions do exist — nets, lasers, interceptor drones — but they’re designed for military battlefields, not stadiums, airports, or cities. Collateral risk is simply too high.
In short, traditional approaches either disrupt too much or achieve too little. What’s needed is certainty and control, not chaos.
Cyber Over RF: A New Paradigm
Rather than blast the airwaves or rely on brute force, Cyber Over RF (CoRF) leverages the very protocols that drones use to communicate with their operators. Instead of blocking or deceiving signals, CoRF systems understand and manipulate them, turning rogue drones into controllable devices.
Think of it as the difference between cutting someone’s phone line vs. accessing their call to reroute the conversation.
This is the essence of CoRF: certainty, control, and continuity.
How CoRF Works: A 5-Step Process
Cyber Over RF is more than just clever signal manipulation. It’s a layered, intelligent sequence that takes advantage of drones’ dependency on RF-based communication. Here’s how it works:
1. Spectrum Scanning
The CoRF system passively scans the radio frequency (RF) environment to detect active drone signals. Unlike conventional scanners that merely detect energy spikes, CoRF interprets the communication itself, extracting data like drone type, altitude, camera direction, and even the operator’s location.
2. Protocol Analysis
Once a drone is detected, the system dissects its communication protocol: the “language” used between the drone and controller. Early CoRF tools relied on static libraries. Today’s systems, like those pioneered by Sentrycs, can analyze and adapt to new or custom protocols in real-time.
This enables near-instantaneous identification and classification, eliminating the outdated DTI (Detect, Track, Identify) sequence.
3. Vulnerability Assessment
With the protocol understood, the system identifies weak points, unencrypted channels, default credentials, predictable handshakes, and prepares a strategy to assume control.
4. Mitigation Strategy
Depending on the threat level, CoRF can:
- Take over the drone and land it safely
- Redirect it to a different location
- Freeze it midair
- Return it to a new “home” location
All without affecting nearby drones or infrastructure.
5. Execution
The final stage involves injecting highly targeted, low-power RF signals that mimic legitimate commands. The drone responds as if it’s still following its original operator, only now, it’s under control of the defense system.
This surgical takeover is silent, compliant, and leaves no trace of interference on adjacent systems.
Why Cyber Over RF Is the Smart Choice
CoRF isn’t just a new tool: it’s a fundamentally new approach. Let’s break down why it’s redefining the C-UAS landscape.
✅ Certainty
CoRF provides certainty and accurate situational awareness. It identifies drones down to their serial number, precisely locates their pilots and home locations, and safely neutralizes the aircraft by enabling drone takeover and landing.
✅ Pinpoint Accuracy, Zero Collateral
Unlike jammers or kinetic effectors, CoRF targets a single drone, leaving other airspace users, emergency services, and communication systems untouched. It’s the ideal solution for airports, stadiums, city centers, and high-risk civilian zones.
✅ Total Control
Jammers disrupt. Spoofers deceive. CoRF controls. This enables safe landings, evidence collection, operator location, and real-time decisions, especially crucial for law enforcement and critical infrastructure protection.
✅ Continuity of Legitimate Operations
Because it interacts at the protocol level, CoRF doesn’t interfere with authorized drones. This supports safe cohabitation of commercial, public safety, and military drones within the same airspace.
✅ Regulatory Compliance
Most countries restrict or prohibit jamming and destructive methods. CoRF offers a legal, standards-compliant alternative for drone mitigation in regulated airspace.
✅ Future-Proof Solutions
Thanks to software-defined radios and AI-assisted decoding, the best CoRF systems keep up with the ever-changing threat. They can be updated for new drone models and protocols, firmware changes, and even custom-built or DIY drones.
✅ Flexible Deployment
Whether mounted on rooftops, mobile patrol vehicles, tactical backpacks, or border control stations, CoRF is a modular and scalable solution tailored to your mission needs.
Comparison Table: CoRF vs. Other C-UAS Technologies
From Military to Civilian: Why CoRF Matters Now
Many early C-UAS technologies were developed for military environments, where destroying a drone is often the goal. But in today’s civilian landscapes, that logic doesn’t hold. The key challenge isn’t just stopping drones — it’s doing so safely, legally, and intelligently. With tens of thousands of registered drones in the U.S. alone, distinguishing between hobbyist negligence and malicious intent is no longer a clear-cut task. And with drones being used for everything from food delivery to intelligence gathering, decision-makers need tools that understand context, not just threats.
That’s exactly what CoRF delivers.
Sentrycs: Pioneering the CoRF Movement
At Sentrycs, we’ve built our C-UAS platform around the principles of Simplicity, Effectiveness, and Proven Performance. Our CoRF solution doesn’t just detect drones — it takes control.
We provide:
- Autonomous operation — with minimal operator training required
- Modular deployment options — for fixed, mobile, or tactical use
- Protocol-based detection — for instantaneous identification
- Safe mitigation paths — that align with global regulations
Conclusion: Certainty Without Compromise
Our technology is trusted by leading homeland security agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and defense partners around the world. We don’t jam. We don’t destroy. We give you certainty, and we take over.
The drone threat landscape is no longer just about “red vs. blue” or “friend vs. foe.” It’s nuanced, complex, and constantly evolving. Traditional tools can’t keep up — but Cyber Over RF can.
By interacting directly with the drone’s communication protocol, CoRF delivers unmatched control, safety, and adaptability. It’s not just the next step in drone defense, it’s a leap into a smarter, safer future.
At Sentrycs, we believe the future of airspace security won’t be won by brute force. It will be won by intelligence, precision, and control. And we’re proud to lead that future, one protocol at a time, with certainty.