ATC
Dyami: GPS Spoofing Raising Flags about Vulnerabilities
Training and risk assessments are key to responding to GPS spoofing
Op Group of fake GPS occurrences (Image: Ops Group)
The GPS spoofing occurred along a broad swath of the Iranian border. (Image: Ops Group)

Recent GPS spoofing incidents along the Iranian border underscore the importance of training for “dead reckoning” capabilities, particularly at night and particularly if an aircraft’s navigation systems are more vulnerable to interference, warns Jan-Peter Van Viegen, the head of aviation for security firm Dyami. The incidents also underscore that GPS-reliant navigation systems can be vulnerable, he added.

At least a dozen aircraft flying along the Iraq/Iranian board on Airway UM688 had encountered the fake GPS signals. In most cases, the signals were of such integrity and strength that they caused a complete failure of navigation systems. This occurred without warning, and some operators found themselves 60 nm to 80 nm off course. The occurrence involved aircraft ranging from an Embraer Praetor 600 to a Boeing 777.

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