Increase in GPS spoofing incidents on commercial airliners causing disruptions in communication systems

From Investing.com: 2024-08-10 18:40:40

A surge in GPS spoofing incidents targeting commercial airliners has seen a 400% increase in recent months, according to OPSGROUP. Spoofing incidents involve illicit ground-based GPS systems sending incorrect positions to confuse drones or missiles. The hacking can disrupt onboard airplane clocks, causing access to communication systems to be lost.

During a presentation at the DEF CON hacking convention, Ken Munro from Pen Test Partners discussed the hack on airplane clocks during spoofing incidents. In one case, a major Western airline’s aircraft had its clocks sent forward by years, grounding it for weeks. Finnair temporarily paused flights due to GPS spoofing in April.

GPS, a crucial navigation tool for planes, can be blocked or distorted easily. While GPS spoofing doesn’t directly cause crashes, it can lead to a cascade of events. The disruption in GPS signals can create confusion and small issues that could potentially escalate into serious incidents.



Read more at Investing.com: GPS spoofers ‘hack time’ on commercial airlines, researchers say By Reuters