“Rising GPS Spoofing Attacks: New Threats to Commercial Aviation Security”
**Surge in GPS Spoofing Raises Alarming New Threats for Commercial Airlines**
**LAS VEGAS, Aug 10 (Reuters)** – Cybersecurity researchers have identified a troubling new development in GPS spoofing, a type of digital attack that has surged by 400% in recent months, according to aviation advisory body OPSGROUP. This attack, which can send commercial airliners off course by broadcasting incorrect GPS signals, has now evolved to include the ability to manipulate time.
Many recent GPS spoofing incidents have been reported near conflict zones, where illicit ground-based GPS systems are used to confuse incoming drones or missiles by transmitting false positions to the surrounding airspace. However, as Ken Munro, founder of Pen Test Partners, explained during his presentation at the DEF CON hacking convention in Las Vegas, GPS is not only a source of position but also of time—a fact often overlooked.
“We’re starting to see reports of the clocks on board airplanes doing strange things during spoofing events,” Munro said. He shared details of a recent incident in which a major Western airline experienced a sudden shift in its onboard clocks by several years, causing the plane to lose access to its digitally-encrypted communication systems. The aircraft was grounded for weeks as engineers manually reset its systems. Munro declined to disclose the airline or specific aircraft involved.
This incident highlights the growing vulnerabilities associated with GPS reliance in aviation. GPS, which has largely replaced costly ground-based systems that guide planes towards landing, can be easily distorted or blocked using inexpensive and readily available equipment. The implications of such attacks are significant, as demonstrated by Finnair’s temporary suspension of flights to Tartu, Estonia, in April, due to GPS spoofing. Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, blamed neighboring Russia for the interference.
As GPS spoofing continues to rise, so does the urgency for the aviation industry to enhance its defenses against this evolving threat.
