Civil GPS Systems and Potential Vulnerabilities

David Hoey and Paul Benshoof

Abstract:	Since becoming fully operational, the Global Positioning System (GPS) has consistently proven itself as an effective force enhancer to the US military and its allies. However, because GPS satellites broadcast a signal freely available to the public, commercial applications of GPS outnumber those of the military by a wide margin and are now embedded in applications the original developers of GPS could have never imagined. Among these applications are those used in the United States’ critical national infrastructure, which are becoming increasingly reliant on GPS at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, over-reliance on GPS for critical applications could leave us vulnerable to future asymmetric attacks. The danger stems from what is well understood in military circles: to function properly, GPS receivers must track low-power satellite signals which are very susceptible to jamming or other interference. This paper presents a Department of Defense GPS test perspective on civilian GPS vulnerabilities and potential impacts to critical infrastructure, as well as recommends action to mitigate vulnerability exploitation and help protect vital applications.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2005) September 13 - 16, 2005 Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, CA
Pages:	1291 - 1295
Cite this article:	Hoey, David, Benshoof, Paul, "Civil GPS Systems and Potential Vulnerabilities," Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2005), Long Beach, CA, September 2005, pp. 1291-1295.
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