Currently, attackers can alter the GPS location data, received by satnav systems in cars for example, by using a satellite simulator.
GPS also has a number of industrial uses, such as the temporal synchronisation of machines, which could be brought to a standstill in the event of an attack.
Satellite simulators generate fake signals that appear authentic, and sends them out to receivers.
“This is how attackers can fool the receiver, which then assumes it is located in a different position than is actually the case,” explains Professor Christina Pöpper, who is leading the team developing a solution to the problem.
Their proposal involves the installation of multiple receivers in a vehicle, situated at a distance from each other, that are all receiving GPS data simultaneously.
If they receive genuine satellite signals, the receivers’ calculated positions differ slightly from each other.
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