At the least, the incident underscores the problems that the Secret Service has had in protecting the White House as of late. There have been a number of embarrassing breaches in recent months, and the drone flight suggests that attempts to reform the Secret Service's procedures didn't go far enough. Also, it's clear that existing legal deterrents, such as the FAA's attempts to control drone use or Washington's blanket ban on overhead flights, aren't really effective in circumstances like this. It's ridiculously easy to buy and fly an unmanned aircraft these days -- unless the White House develops a better defense against drones, it will only take a bit of cash and curiosity to create a giant headache for security forces.

Update: The New York Times understands that the drone operator was a government worker who says he lost control of the vehicle while flying for "recreational purposes." While there's no official word yet, the Secret Service reportedly accepts his version of events.

[Image credit: US Embassy Jakarta, Flickr]