# Securing the Future by Addressing Complex Security Challenges - Event: NestGen ’25 - Published: March 7, 2025 - Length: 31:27 - Watch: https://nestgen.org/library/watch/NTw9EWmuPiM/ > The transcript of a recorded NestGen session, for reading or for use with an AI tool. It comes from the video's > captions; automatic captions can mishear names and terms. ## Transcript **[0:20]** Hello everyone and welcome to NextGen I'm Pranjal, the solutions engineer at FlytBase for the Asia-Pacific region. I'm thrilled to be your host for this exciting session on securing the future by addressing complex security challenges. In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, security has become more complex than ever before. When we talk about drone security, we're not just discussing data protection, but also addressing airspace security, cyber threats, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience. Before we get started, I would love to know who's joining us today and also please drop a quick note in the chat letting us know that where you're joining from and what aspect of drone security interests you the most. Today, the topic we'll discuss has become increasingly critical in the age of autonomous drone operations. We're here to explore how leading organizations like Dole and ASY and are redefining security through innovative technologies and strategic implementations. Dole's innovative approach to security patrols represent a represent a fundamental **[1:20]** shift in how large-scale protected. By deploying automated drone security patrols across their vast pineapple plantations, they've not only enhanced surveillance coverage, but also dramatically improved response time potential threats. These autonomous patrols are revolutionizing operational security models by providing 24/7 coverage with minimal human intervention. Whether you are a security professional, technology integrator, or business leader, today's session promises actionable insights into scaling autonomous security operations while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational excellence in high-risk environments. Before we dive in, here are a few few quick notes to make most of your sessions today. So, if you have any questions, please drop them in the Q&A tab and we'll tackle them during the session. And also the session is being recorded, so if you miss anything, don't worry. We'll send a copy to all the registered attendees afterward. We would love for you to be part of the conversation. Please feel free to **[2:21]** use #NextGen2025 on social media and LinkedIn to share it and connect with others. And also we have a virtual expo area, so don't forget to check that out. And I would also like to thank our partners, Commercial UAV News, AVSS, Flyt Freely, Uvionics, Drone Land, and Drone Nodes for being part of NextGen 2025. And let's start by introducing our speakers. I'm particularly excited about today's session because we have two exceptional leaders who have experience in implementing comprehensive security frameworks. First, join me in welcoming Tyrone Mogan Kiah, director of security at Dole Asia Holdings. Tyrone spearheads innovative security strategies for one of the world's largest fresh fresh produce supply chains, spanning operations across more than 70 countries. Tyrone's expertise spans security management, crisis management, and business continuity, positioning Dole Asia at the forefront of innovative technological practices in the agricultural sector. His **[3:23]** current focus involves expanding drone surveillance capabilities to predict and mitigate threats across Dole's global operations. Joining Tyrone today is Alexander Yap, a technology innovator and entrepreneur from the Philippines. Alexander is the driving force behind ASY Electronics Parts and Services in Philippines. As a certified DJI Enterprise dealer and FlytBase silver partner, he has been instrumental in bringing cutting-edge technology and security to automated solutions and docked drone operations across businesses in Philippines. Their collaborative work at Dole Philippines, particularly in implementing DJI Dock 2 for their pineapple field surveillance, demonstrates how enterprise-level security can be met through innovative technology integration. With that, let's get started. Tyrone, Alexander, over to you. Yes. Thank you, Pranjal. Yeah. Thanks, Pranjal. And hi everyone. Yeah, so **[4:24]** Sorry, Pranjal, we're going to mine first. Is that correct? Yeah. Yeah. Okay, good. Yeah, thanks very much. And I think allow me to introduce myself first. So, my name's Tyrone Mogan Kiah. I'm the global security director of Dole Asia Holdings and I'm currently situated in the Philippines. So, if we can move on to the slide as an introduction to myself, just let me tell you my background. And I think that in this in this environment, we're talking to a lot of people with technical expertise, but I'm sure that you're going to get a lot of questions from some of your clients, some of the um from a security perspective, not just an IT security perspective, but also um from you know, how does this add value to your organization? Now, you can imagine that from Dole, if we can I'm not sure, am I Pranjal, can we go to the next slide? **[5:26]** Yeah. Um So, my background in terms of um And we're going to go Firstly, we're going to take a look at the at the technical side of it, Pranjal. So, the slides have gone to the technical side first, not my side. But let me tell you you guys, as you're listening to um Alexander from a technical perspective, he's he was brought in as an expert to uh look at um how we can implement the network of docks throughout a really vast environment. And you can imagine just in the Philippines, we have 24,000 hectares of pineapples. We have 30,000 employees, and that's only one of our businesses. That's called Dole Philippines Incorporated. Our second business is Stanfilco. Standard Fruit Company was here since 1965. And they have another 30,000 employees, and they have the banana business, avocado, pineapple business. So, um I'm going to throw because it looks like they the slides **[6:29]** are for Alex. This is one of Alex's slides. So, we're hoping that the slides are in order, but hey, don't worry about it. We'll just come hopping and out when our slides come up because there's a lot of synergy between what what um ASY Electronics have done and what we've done internally from Dole. So, I'll throw to you, Alex, and you can uh give us a bit of a background on on yourself and and how you supported Dole moving forward. Okay, yes. Oh, the Oh, the slides are Yeah. So, let me jump in here for you, Alex, because this is one of my slides. So, just so everyone's aware, Dole is been around for a long time. As you can see there, 1851. Um and they went they were in a Hawaii. So, if you actually went to Hawaii, you will see Dole there, but they're not really doing the the plantation with the pineapples as we're doing it now. So, right through to 1964, **[7:31]** they were in Hawaii. And in 1964, the Standard Fruit Company emerged, and they came to the Philippines and the and the most southern island of Mindanao, where they set up Stanfilco, the Standard um Fruit Company. After that, they established Dole Philippines, probably the largest plantations of pineapples globally. And then since then, in 2014, we've established in Sierra Leone, Sierra Tropical Limited, obviously in Africa. But the point I make here, and you most of you will see our products across the globe, pineapple, pineapple juice, and bananas, and fresh fresh fruit. So, one of the real big challenges that we have with such a massive um uh I guess environment to protect is that is the fact that it is so big. Now, we can put thousands of guards out there. We can put as a lot and we have been **[8:32]** investing heavily in security. But what we decided to do is we decided to look at technology. One of the things that I'm really keen on is digital transformation. In the last 20 years, I've taught myself how to code, so I I I I put these systems and processes. But one of the things that we couldn't do was get a um visibility across such a large area, and that's where the drones came in. So, if you haven't heard of Dole, if you haven't tried the fruit, um I suggest that you try it now. So, we'll go to the next slide. And so, with the With this, we um incorporated we got our partners involved. Um I think a lot of the challenges and and is um a lot of the challenges that you see is IT security, obviously, because the docks will talk to, you know, they're out there in the uh in the IT world. So, we actually got our own internal IT involved. They were involved, **[9:35]** and then we brought in some our partners. That was ASY Electronics. So, I'm going to throw to ASY Electronics to give you a bit of a background on what they needed to do cuz it wasn't a simple ask. It was a it was a challenging role because of such a big area. So, over to you for this one, Alex. Next slide, please. Yep. Hello. Yeah. We can hear you, Alex. Yes, yes, no. Yes, it's my slide, right? So, yeah. Good day, everyone. It's been an honor to be here at uh NestGen representing ASY Electronics Parts and Services. Today, I will be sharing our experience in deploying DJI Dock 2 integrate with FlytBase to enhance security operations at **[10:41]** Dole Philippines. As a system integrator, our goal was to implement an autonomous drone surveillance solution to address security challenges in Dole vast pineapple fields. This presentation will cover the challenges, deployments, process, and the impact of the innovative security solution. So, about to start, let me give you a quick introduction to ASY Electronics. We have been in the industry since 2015, specializing in security surveillance, IT solution, and UAV technology. Our company uh is author- authorized by DJI Enterprise as a dealer here in the Philippines. And we have various brands that we are partnering worldwide. Beyond just supplying products, we focus on end-to-end system integration, ensuring seamless deployment and optimization of security and automation solutions. So, next slide, please. **[11:51]** So, Dole Philippines operates thousands of hectares of pineapple fields, making a security major challenge. So, here's the risks include number one is trespassing. Unwanted entry into restricted areas. Number two problem that we encount- that we both encountered is the theft loss of valuable crops and equipment. The third is crop damage, potential harm to plantation areas that affects productivity. And third is traditional security patrols have limitations. So, before the drone program starts, they are on the traditional security patrols that have many limitations. So, the limitation is the manpower constraints. Covering vast fields requires significant personnel and resources. **[12:56]** Number two, the slow response time. Detecting and addressing security incidents manually takes time if you do the manual patrol. Another thing is the blind spot. Certain areas may be difficult to monitor, increasing vulnerabilities. To overcome these challenges, Dole needs to be needs a cost-effective, scalable, and automated solution. This is where our deployment of DJI Dock 2 and FlytBase come into play. In the next slide, I'll explain how the solution is transforming security in a large agricultural lands. Spend more Okay, on the next slide. On the previous slide, sorry, I guess. **[13:58]** Yeah, correct. Perfect. To add To address the these security challenges, we deployed DJI Dock 2 integrated with FlytBase to create a fully automated surveillance system. So, DJI Dock 2 provides automated drone flights for scheduled and not on-demand patrols. Weather resistance, ensuring reliable operations in different conditions. Remote control capabilities, reducing the need for on-site personnel. So, on the FlytBase side, FlytBase integration brings cloud-based control, allowing security teams to manage drone operations remotely. Another thing is the real-time monitoring, ensuring immediate situation- situational awareness. So, for the Dole, here is the key advantage to the Dole to the Dole Philippines. **[15:02]** It helps them with a 24/7 security patrols, ensuring continuous surveillance without a manual intervention. Another thing is remote operation and efficiency, reducing labor costs and enhancing security response time. This solution has allowed Alex, let me jump in here if you don't mind so that I can give some context to some of these things from the technical side. This was really important to us at Dole. And but one of the things that we we did and what Alex said he's probably going to come up with in the other slides was the training of the of the pilots. Now, we needed an operation, given that my team are all former police and military, we needed an operation that could be run like a military-style operation. And these types of technologies have to be integrated with SOPs, procedures, and training. And so, when Alex talks about the automated flights and **[16:05]** the weather, our our teams are highly skilled. They have to be they have to be highly skilled because it's a requirement by the Civil Aviation Authority. But internally, we need them to actually do their job. Okay? And and that's why there was a great marriage, if you like, of the of what Alex is bringing to the table, what my team could bring to the table in terms of expertise from from our security, from our policing, from our military background, we could bring it together to make this work. So, I just wanted to put some context. Thanks, Alex. Thank you. Thank you, sir, Tyrone. So, next slide, please. So, how the DJI and FlytBase system operates in ensuring Dole pineapple fields. Well, first is the strategic deployment. DJI Dock 2 units are positioned at a key locations across the plantation for maximum coverage. **[17:07]** Second, these docks serve as home bases for all drone for the drones, allowing them to land, recharge, and relaunch automatically. Number two is pre-launch or on-demand patrols. Drones allow follow a predetermined patrol schedule or can be deployed immediately when an alert is triggered. This ensures continuous surveillance without human intervention. Third, live video feed for security personnel. The FlytBase platform streams real-time footage to Dole security team. Any suspicious activity can be monitored and assessed remotely. Fourth, automated alerts for security incidents. If an anomaly is detected, the system sends instant notification to security teams. This allow for quick response times, reducing risk of theft, trespassing, or crop damage. **[18:10]** This fully automated workflow enables efficient round-the-clock security, eliminating blind spots, and improving response times. Uh next slide, please. Uh next slide. Okay. In this slide, I'll share the deployment experience at Dole Philippines, including the key challenges and solutions. DJI Dock 2 units were placed at strategical locations across the vast pineapple fields. Inte- Integration with FlytBase was configured for automated operations and remote monitoring. Security teams were trained to efficiently operate and manage the system. Uh challenges faced and solutions for the regulatory approval like uh complying with regulations **[19:13]** took us time, required requiring documentation and certifications. Solution, close coordination with the authorities to streamline the process. Another uh fake uh problems that they encountered is the network connectivity and optimization. Large agricultural lands can have weak connectivity. That's why we come up with a Starlink solution to help us on the network side. User training and adaptation. Transitioning from traditional patrols to drone-based surveillance requires training. That's why Dole Philippines have uh we train their own pilots to become uh efficient on using the system. So, we conduct hands-on training sessions to familiarize security personnel with flight based dashboards of live monitoring and automated threat response mechanism. By addressing these **[20:15]** challenges, we successfully deployed an efficient, automated, and scalable security solution at Dole Philippines. In the next slide, I'll discuss the impact of this deployment. So, before I start, this is the dock site. Uh the actual picture of the dock site. On the on the left side, that's the that's the site on the daytime. And the other side, that's the site during the the rain uh raining. That's uh there's a rain on that time. So, next slide, please. So, here's the sample of the FlytBase monitoring that we deployed on Dole Philippines. Next slide. So, with the help of DJI Global, we we and and the FlytBase team, we uh successfully deployed all from the hardware side and to the platform side. **[21:21]** So, next slide, please. So, this is uh one of our on one of the FlytBase team that come personally to the Philippines in Bulacan for for Dole to to conduct a training on the pilots. That what Yeah. Next slide. Our key deployment of DJI Dock and FlytBase has significantly improved security operations for Dole Philippines. Reduct- reduction in security incidents. Since implementation, unauthorized access and theft cases have decreased significantly on the first month. Another is the faster response time. Security teams can now respond in real time. With instant alerts and live monitoring, improving overall field security. Another is the lower there, too, Alex. Let me jump in there, too. Thank you for **[22:25]** that. Yeah, that's uh a great summary. So, in real time, what what we're seeing out there is not just the security impact is happening on to our business where our capability is better. We've got a lot more to do, I have to say. But from an agricultural perspective, we're able to see things that are impacting the mortality of plants. We're able to act really quickly. So, what what Alex is talking about is what we're reporting back to to ASY, but from a real time perspective, what we can see in real time, our our control room is 24 hours a day, our pilots are working 24/7, our supervisors are out there. So, all of this coming together has given us uh a tremendous capability out in the in the fields. One of the lessons learned for everybody that that I want to take away, I mean, the the response from FlytBase, response from DJI, and our partners here has been terrific. But what we learned in the beginning was be careful **[23:27]** where you put your put your docks. Okay? So, we had to shut down a few days. We put them in places we thought that we were doing okay, but these things are going to happen. You're going to have challenges along the way. You've got to work with the teams as you're doing this. So, um it's been a great response from the team from FlytBase, DJI, and and for Alex. So, uh I just wanted to throw that in. Uh I think we've got uh only 5 minutes, so we might need to go forward a bit quicker and then uh actually go in through a video. Back to you, Alex. Yeah, thank you thank you, Sir Tyron. So, as we look ahead, the success of DJI Dock 2 and FlytBase in in secur- in in sec- in securing Dole Philippines pineapple fields opens the door to even more applications in the agricul- cultural industry. So, like Sir Tyron said, expanded beyond security. Crop health monitoring, drones **[24:28]** equipped uh equipped can optimize uh it can help to detect uh the plants, it can help to optimize irrigation, and improve yields. So, logistics and inventory management, automating monitoring of farm equipment, materials, and work and workforce efficiency. Another is scale scalability for large-scale farms. This technology can replicated for other large plantations, improve efficiency, security, and overall productivity. Third is collaboration with opportunities with FlytBase. Future enhancement like AI-powered threat detection and automated responses can further strengthen farm security. Partnering with FlytBase and industry leaders can bring more automation and intelligence to agricultural drone applications. The integration of autonomous drones is not about security. **[25:30]** It's about unlocking new possibilities for smarter, data-driven farming. So, that this is the last slide. As a wrap up, I'd like to leave uh with some key takeaways from this deployments. First is autonomous drones are transforming agricultural security. DJI Dock 2 and FlytBase provides 24/7 surveillance, automated response, and real-time monitoring, overcoming the limitations of traditional patrols. Second These combinations allows for scalability, remote operations, and cost-effective security solutions for large-scale agricultural business. So, strateg- strategically spaced dock placement is one uh lesson that we learned from this uh project. Second is regulatory compliance. Third is user training. Were key factors in **[26:33]** ensuring a smooth and effective implementation. Moving forward, there are exciting opportunities to expand drone automation secur- beyond security such crop health monitoring, logistics, and AI-powered analytics. Thank you for your time, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. Yeah, I think we should go to questions cuz we don't have a lot of time, Franjel. So, uh I'd be interested if anyone has any questions of us. Yeah. Uh so, I think one of the questions uh that was asked, like, what were the existing security systems uh that you were using before you started using docking stations? And any limitations and challenges that you were facing at that time with your current infrastructure? So, I'm going to say this to everyone who who understands security, even if you **[27:34]** don't, security hasn't gone with the times. The security industry across many countries, and I've worked in many, uh back in the 18th, 19th century, even the 20th century. We're in the 21st century. So, traditional traditional type security doesn't actually work well. Unless you've got a digital transformation, you've got a footprint now, you need visibility. And that's not just with drones, that's across your digital footprint with reporting, with incident reporting, with the things that can give you trending. So, the the drones, I'm sure we will integrate all of that with the drones, but what we have currently is the old traditional feet on the ground, human beings, a heartbeat in the field. It it's open to a lot of challenges. Collusion is one of them. One of the losses we have is because of that collusion, um not just with our external service providers, but internally. So, we have now taking that away. We have CCTV systems, very limited because we have um **[28:37]** a limited signal, if you like. So, we're looking at different technologies to support that. I So, the traditional security in a large environment um geographic uh environment like this just is not effective. Oh, great great um And also, uh one question is, like, uh what were the challenges that you faced while deploying BVLOS operations? Like, because no one is present on the site, right? In the agricultural site. So, what are the challenges that you faced on that part? Like, without any operator present or pilot present on the field. Did you face anything specific Yeah. Yeah, so with with our drones, we have the drone operators in a very um modern control tower. And we have what we call DRT, that's drone response team. Our security teams on motorbikes. And and we have um so, we've changed the model of what we're doing. **[29:37]** Alone, the drones won't work. But what we're looking at, too, is looking at putting the speakers and the spotlights because our focus is not on apprehension any longer. Our focus is on prevention. So, it is a tremendous opportunity to get that the prevention reduce the losses. So, we have to put these other physical security components bolted on to the to the um current framework of our our drone operations. Good. Good. Uh Tyrone, you also wanted to share a video. So, uh if it's possible, you can go ahead and uh share the video. I think the video is also um Pranjal. Um if we're over time, it's okay. We don't need to share it, but um it's it's up to you. I think we're we're run over now, but it's it's been a pleasure for for all to be here. I'm sure we'd love to come on again, and we can share that video another time if you like. Sure. Sure. Sure. No worries, uh Tyrone. So, uh it has been a great uh session, and thank you, Tyrone **[30:40]** Alexander, for sharing your valuable insights today, and your practical experience in implementing these advanced security solutions have provided us with actionable insights for future of the agricultural security. And uh to our audience, thank you for your engaging participation, and you will also receive this Nestrian session recording within 24 hours. And thank you, everyone, for uh being part of Nestrian 2025. Enjoy the rest of the event, and thank you for uh like the session. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Pranjal. Thank you, guys. Thank you, guys. Bye. Bye.