Why in the news?

  •  Airlines report ‘severe’ GPS spoofing over Delhi over the past weeks.

GPS Spoofing

  • Definition: GPS spoofing refers to the manipulation of GPS signals to deceive GPS receivers, making them believe they are at a different location than they actually are.
  • Types
    • Signal Jamming: Interference with GPS signals to disrupt reception, causing receivers to lose accuracy or fail altogether.
    • Signal Manipulation: Altering GPS signals to provide false location information to receivers.
    • Replay Attacks: Recording genuine GPS signals and replaying them later to deceive receivers.
    • Meaconing: Broadcasting counterfeit GPS signals to mimic legitimate ones, leading receivers to calculate incorrect positions.
  • Application
    • Cybersecurity: Used to manipulate location-based security systems, such as in drone navigation or maritime navigation.
    • Privacy: Spoofing can be employed to protect personal privacy by obfuscating one’s true location.
    • Military Operations: Military applications involve both defensive and offensive uses of GPS spoofing for deception and strategic advantage.
    • Criminal Activities: Criminals may use spoofing for various illicit activities, such as smuggling or evading law enforcement.
  • Detection and Prevention:
    • Implementing cryptographic techniques to verify the authenticity of GPS signals.
    • Advanced GPS receivers can detect and mitigate spoofing attempts.
    • Integrating other positioning technologies like GLONASS, Galileo, or inertial navigation systems can enhance reliability and resilience against spoofing.
    • Governments can enforce regulations to prevent unauthorized GPS signal manipulation and punish offenders.

 

📄 Download PDF