DJI: Independent Audit Finds No Security Threat With Our Drones | PCMag
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DJI Air 3S (Credit: PCMag/Jim Fisher)
DJI is hitting back at the US’s foreign-made drone ban by highlighting a newly released independent security audit that finds no major security threat in the Chinese company’s drones. “This is the most comprehensive independent security assessment ever undertaken on our products. Independent testing found no backdoors, no data leaving the US, and no viable pathways for hijacking or misuse,” the company said in a statement.DJI hired Florida-based cybersecurity company OnDefend to conduct the audit, which focused on two models: the DJI Air 3S with RC 2 controller and the DJI Matrice 4E with RC Plus 2 Enterprise controller. OnDefend also inspected TikTok’s data security in 2024 and offers penetration testing to help companies ward off hacks. You May Also Like
For the DJI audit, the cybersecurity company bought the drones from a retailer and authorized distributor without notifying DJI. OnDefend's 16-page report flags only 10 “low-risk” findings that DJI plans to address through software updates. “No unexplained radio emissions were identified. All observed RF emissions were traced back to known functions on the drones,” the report says.
(Credit: OnDefend)
The audit is one of many security-related inspections that DJI products have undergone over the years. But in this case, the company is touting the OnDefend audit when the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing a DJI petition urging the US regulator to remove its name from the drone ban. The petition process received nearly 3,200 filings, many of them public comments from US customers, who argue that the drone ban will deny consumers, businesses, and emergency responders access to DJI’s cutting-edge, affordable technology.DJI added the findings “directly challenge the security rationale behind” the US ban on the company’s latest products. "These findings confirm what DJI has consistently maintained: our products are secure, our data practices are transparent, and the concerns underlying our FCC Covered List designation are not supported by technical evidence,” says Adam Welsh, DJI's global policy head.The FCC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the audit probably won’t convince the White House, which determined that foreign-made drones pose an unacceptable national security risk and required the FCC to institute the ban. Recommended by Our Editors The Best Drones for Beginners and Kids in 2026 The DJI Ban Just Got Real: You Can’t Buy the Osmo Pocket 4 in the US Facing Router Ban, TP-Link Tells FCC It's Investing Hundreds of Millions in the US
The FCC’s order signals the Trump administration is more concerned about the potential threat —rather than any present danger—of foreign-made drones one day spying or conducting malicious acts on US territory. The Pentagon is also indicating that both classified and unclassified information led it to conclude foreign-made drones could pose a national security risk. The FCC’s ban doesn’t specifically call out China. But it’s no secret that the US government has long been concerned that the Chinese government could secretly compel Chinese companies, such as TikTok's developer ByteDance, to commit state espionage through their products. However, DJI has insisted it has no ties to the Chinese military or is controlled by the Chinese government. OnDefend’s audit adds: “No supply chain tampering detected. No unauthorized hardware modifications identified.”Although DJI can keep selling older drone models in the US, the company has been blocked from selling new products in the country. DJI is also fighting the drone ban in court.
About Our Expert Michael Kan Principal Reporter Experience I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service. I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips. Areas of Expertise Networking Security Graphics Cards Processors AI SpaceX Nvidia AMD Latest By Michael Kan Nvidia and Microsoft Just Dropped a Cryptic Tease. Is an Arm-Powered Windows PC Chip Finally Coming?