Microchip’s BlueSky™ GNSS firewall can effectively deal with threats while ensuring the resilience of critical aviation and other PNT infrastructure
Spoofing is often associated with telephone fraud. Recently, however, spoofing has become increasingly common in aviation. GPS spoofing involves jammers on the ground deliberately jamming or falsifying GPS signals to give pilots wrong positions and altitudes.
This tactic poses serious risks to air traffic and other systems relying on position, navigation and timing (PNT). Aircraft, including those operated by Swiss Airlines, encounter GPS spoofing daily, particularly over and close to conflict zones such as Ukraine, and the Middle East but also over Cyprus or Scandinavian countries.
Among many other, two independent media sources Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) and 20min.ch have recently pointed out the serious GPS jamming problem in their latest reporting.
Swiss Airlines notes the prevalence of spoofing on routes to Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as over war zones. Despite occasional subsystem failures due to spoofing, Swiss assures that its flight operations remain unaffected. However, not all airlines are so fortunate. Cases have been reported of aircraft flying off course or relying on verbal instructions from air traffic controllers due to navigation system failures. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has been monitoring GPS spoofing for years, and the number of incidents has been steadily increasing. Aviation security experts warn against underestimating these incidents, which are suspected to be motivated by terrorism.
Smart defence against GPS Spoofing with Microchip’s BlueSky™ GNSS firewall
Microchip Technology is the only manufacturer in the world to offer a simple and retrofittable solution to effectively protect PNT infrastructure with Bluesky™. The Bluesky™ GNSS firewall can be integrated into the existing infrastructure and immediately detects anomalies in the various GNSS signals, including jamming and spoofing attacks. Fake signals are blocked instantly, and the firewall continues to provide a reliable and correct reference for time and position thanks to the built-in oscillator. As a system operator, you regain protection and control with Microchip's unique solution and the extensive measurement data collected helps you to analyze incidents.
