GNSS Simulation Application:Spoofing Testing

March 2016

2 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

Spectracom: GNSS Essential Ingenuity

Bringing Technology to: Military, Aerospace

UAV’s Electronic Warfare C4ISR

High-End Commercial Apps Datacenters Robotics/Telematics IDM GIS Data Mining

Spectracom simplifies the integration of Position, Navigation, and Timing into our customer’s systems.

3 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

• An attempt to deceive a GPS receiver by broadcasting false GPS signals that the receiver will use instead of the live sky signals

• Two Testing Applications:• Hardening Receivers – understand how a receiver

reacts in a spoofing situation and test the effectiveness of mitigation techniques or counter measures

• Defensive Disruption – understand how spoofing can be used to actively take control of a UAS and deflect or re-direct its flight path

• Different than Jamming• Spoofing is hard. Jamming is easy.• Jamming can disrupt a receiver but not re-locate or

trick it

What is GPS Spoofing?

4 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

1. TIME SYNC Signal (Live Sky Time vs. Spoofer Time)

2. POSITION Accuracy (Actual Receiver Position vs. Spoofer Starting Position)

3. POWER Level (Live Sky Received Power vs. Spoofer Transmitter Power)

Critical Parameters for Spoofing

Assuming spoofer signal, protocols, etc. are correct

5 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

• The spoofing signal must be synchronized with the live sky signal to capture a receiver already tracking the real signal

• SYNC required depends on the receiver’s tracking algorithms

• Test: Quantify the sensitivity of the receiver to the variation in TIME SYNC between live sky and spoofer

• Or in other words, how close does the spoofer time need to be to the live sky time (at the receiver’s antenna)?

Critical Parameters – TIME SYNC

6 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

• Test: Quantify the sensitivity of the receiver to the variation of the POSITION between the calculated live sky position and the transmitted spoofer position

• In other words, how close does the spoofer position need to be?

• Again, depends on the receiver’s tracking algorithms

Critical Parameters - POSITION

Live Simulator Position

500m position offset

Spoofer Simulator

Start Position

7 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

• Quantify the sensitivity of the receiver to the difference in power between live sky and the spoofer

• In other words, how much more power does the spoofer need in order to take over the receiver?

• Note that too strong of a signal can jam the receiver!

Critical Parameters – POWER LEVEL

8 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

Simulate both Live Sky and Spoofer

1. 1x GSG™ Simulator for “Sky”2. 1x GSG™ Simulator for Spoofer

3. 1x SecureSync ™ for sync

• Full control over:• Time sync• Power Level• Both positions

Live Sky plus Simulated Spoofer

1. Live Sky Antenna 2. 1x GSG™ Simulator for Spoofer

3. 1x SecureSync ™ for sync

• Gets very complicated quickly• Hard to determine power levels• Difficult to track moving vehicle

Spoofing Testing Configurations

Configuration A is preferred

A B

9 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

Test Setup – Configuration A

10 May 3, 2023GNSS Simulation Application: Spoofing Testing

• Hardening GNSS receivers against spoofing and jamming is crucial

• The threat is new, real and increasing

• Testing with a simulator is a very effective tool for designing and evaluating countermeasures

Conclusions

"The bad guys on the borders have lots of

money, and what they're putting money into is in

spoofing and jamming of GPS…”

Timothy Bennett, Program Mgr, US Dept of Homeland

Security Science and Technology Directorate