As industrial digital transformation accelerates, two security pain points continue to challenge organizations handling confidential or high-security operations: the interception of data in transit, and the theft of data once stored in the cloud.
The Scout 137 tethered inspection drone has been engineered with security in mind at every layer — from the underlying hardware to the cloud platform — creating a protected pipeline that runs from on-site capture all the way to cloud storage.
No Wireless Transmission
Most industrial drones on the market rely on wireless radio communication. Flight control signals, high-definition video, LiDAR ranging data and other payloads are all broadcast over the air, where they can be intercepted, jammed or even tampered with using readily available equipment.
The Scout 137 breaks completely with this model. It uses a fully physical, wired tethered design in which a single cable simultaneously carries power and data. The aircraft also omits any GPS module, eliminating exposure to GPS spoofing attacks — a perfect fit for highly confidential operating environments such as power plants and offshore oil and gas facilities.
Offline by Default
The Scout 137 operates offline by default. Throughout the inspection, all data is automatically written to the onboard SD storage card; nothing leaves the system unless an operator actively chooses to upload it.
The ground station's wide area network interface is disabled by default, so customers do not need to perform additional configuration to disable or block network functionality in order to meet physical isolation requirements. Because all data remains local, organizations can manage the storage cards under their existing internal policies for classified media.
Compliant Cloud Platform, with a Local Alternative
When customers do need to perform point cloud analysis, image review or multi-party collaboration, data can be uploaded to the dedicated Scout cloud platform. The platform is hosted on Microsoft Azure data centers in Europe, meeting strict requirements for encryption in transit and at rest. Both the operator and the Scout brand itself are certified to ISO 27001 for information security management.
For industries subject to data sovereignty requirements that prohibit the use of public cloud, the native offline workflow allows the drone to be used entirely without any cloud connection. A localized private deployment option is also under active development to support customized on-premise network deployments.
Conclusion
Security-native design has been embedded into the Scout 137 from the very beginning. Built around three core principles — wired transmission, offline-by-default operation, and a compliant cloud platform — the system gives organizations full control over the flow of inspection data and protects industrial inspection information end to end.
If you would like to learn more about how the ScoutDI drone system can be applied to confined space inspections on ships, FPSOs, storage tanks and similar environments, please contact Tecway. Our team will be glad to provide further product information and technical support.
Mr. Pillar Liu
Email: pillar.liu@tecwayintl.com
About Tecway
Founded in Hong Kong in 1993, Tecway International Limited is a leading technical consultancy and high-quality agent in the global maritime industry. Drawing on more than three decades of accumulated expertise, the group operates across five core business areas: marine equipment, petrochemical storage and transportation, diesel and internal combustion engines, maritime technical services, and maritime consultancy services. Its business spans key markets in China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Tecway's maritime team focuses on green shipping and maritime consultancy services. We address the decarbonization needs of shipping companies through services that include EU ETS and FuelEU compliance consulting, shipping green hydrogen project support, export solutions for Chinese-made marine equipment, FGSS services and drone-based inspection solutions.
We are also committed to the diesel and internal combustion engine manufacturing sector, supplying products such as the Cylinder Liner Diameter Measurement device (CLDM) together with comprehensive technical support — from sales consulting and installation through commissioning, training and after-sales service — backed by a fast-response service network that is recognized for both expertise and reliability.