12 research outputs found
GNSS Spoofing Detection via Opportunistic IRIDIUM Signals
In this paper, we study the privately-own IRIDIUM satellite constellation, to
provide a location service that is independent of the GNSS. In particular, we
apply our findings to propose a new GNSS spoofing detection solution,
exploiting unencrypted IRIDIUM Ring Alert (IRA) messages that are broadcast by
IRIDIUM satellites. We firstly reverse-engineer many parameters of the IRIDIUM
satellite constellation, such as the satellites speed, packet interarrival
times, maximum satellite coverage, satellite pass duration, and the satellite
beam constellation, to name a few. Later, we adopt the aforementioned
statistics to create a detailed model of the satellite network. Subsequently,
we propose a solution to detect unintended deviations of a target user from his
path, due to GNSS spoofing attacks. We show that our solution can be used
efficiently and effectively to verify the position estimated from standard GNSS
satellite constellation, and we provide constraints and parameters to fit
several application scenarios. All the results reported in this paper, while
showing the quality and viability of our proposal, are supported by real data.
In particular, we have collected and analyzed hundreds of thousands of IRA
messages, thanks to a measurement campaign lasting several days. All the
collected data ( hours) have been made available to the research
community. Our solution is particularly suitable for unattended scenarios such
as deserts, rural areas, or open seas, where standard spoofing detection
techniques resorting to crowd-sourcing cannot be used due to deployment
limitations. Moreover, contrary to competing solutions, our approach does not
resort to physical-layer information, dedicated hardware, or multiple receiving
stations, while exploiting only a single receiving antenna and
publicly-available IRIDIUM transmissions. Finally, novel research directions
are also highlighted.Comment: Accepted for the 13th Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless
and Mobile Networks (WISEC), 202
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The GPS Assimilator: a Method for Upgrading Existing GPS User Equipment to Improve Accuracy, Robustness, and Resistance to Spoofing
Preprint of the 2010 ION GNSS Conference
Portland, OR, September 21–24, 2010A conceptual method is presented for upgrading existing GPS user equipment, without requiring hardware or software modifications to the equipment, to improve the equipment’s position, velocity, and time (PVT) accuracy, to increase its PVT robustness in weak-signal or jammed environments, and to protect the equipment from counterfeit GPS signals (GPS spoofing). The method is embodied in a device called the GPS Assimilator that couples to the radio frequency (RF) input of an existing GPS receiver. The Assimilator extracts navigation and timing information from RF signals in its environment—including non-GNSS signals—and from direct baseband aiding provided, for example, by an inertial navigation system, a
frequency reference, or the GPS user. The Assimilator optimally fuses the collective navigation and timing information to produce a PVT solution which, by virtue of the diverse navigation and timing sources on which it is based, is highly accurate and inherently robust to GPS signal obstruction and jamming. The Assimilator embeds the PVT solution in a synthesized set of GPS signals and injects
these into the RF input of a target GPS receiver for which an accurate and robust PVT solution is desired. A prototype software-defined Assimilator device is presented with three example applications.Aerospace Engineerin
Satellite-Based Communications Security: A Survey of Threats, Solutions, and Research Challenges
Satellite-based Communication systems are gaining renewed momentum in
Industry and Academia, thanks to innovative services introduced by leading tech
companies and the promising impact they can deliver towards the global
connectivity objective tackled by early 6G initiatives. On the one hand, the
emergence of new manufacturing processes and radio technologies promises to
reduce service costs while guaranteeing outstanding communication latency,
available bandwidth, flexibility, and coverage range. On the other hand,
cybersecurity techniques and solutions applied in SATCOM links should be
updated to reflect the substantial advancements in attacker capabilities
characterizing the last two decades. However, business urgency and
opportunities are leading operators towards challenging system trade-offs,
resulting in an increased attack surface and a general relaxation of the
available security services. In this paper, we tackle the cited problems and
present a comprehensive survey on the link-layer security threats, solutions,
and challenges faced when deploying and operating SATCOM systems.Specifically,
we classify the literature on security for SATCOM systems into two main
branches, i.e., physical-layer security and cryptography schemes.Then, we
further identify specific research domains for each of the identified branches,
focusing on dedicated security issues, including, e.g., physical-layer
confidentiality, anti-jamming schemes, anti-spoofing strategies, and
quantum-based key distribution schemes. For each of the above domains, we
highlight the most essential techniques, peculiarities, advantages,
disadvantages, lessons learned, and future directions.Finally, we also identify
emerging research topics whose additional investigation by Academia and
Industry could further attract researchers and investors, ultimately unleashing
the full potential behind ubiquitous satellite communications.Comment: 72 page
Integrity-Based Path Planning Strategy for Urban Autonomous Vehicular Navigation Using GPS and Cellular Signals
An integrity-based path planning strategy for autonomous ground vehicle (AGV)
navigation in urban environments is developed. The vehicle is assumed to
navigate by utilizing cellular long-term evolution (LTE) signals in addition to
Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. Given a desired destination, an
optimal path is calculated, which minimizes a cost function that considers both
the horizontal protection level (HPL) and travel distance. The constraints are
that (i) the ratio of nodes with faulty signals to the total nodes be lower
than a maximum allowable ratio and (ii) the HPLs along each candidate path be
lower than the horizontal alert limit (HAL). To predict the faults and HPL
before the vehicle is driven, GPS and LTE pseudoranges along the candidate
paths are generated utilizing a commercial ray-tracing software and
three-dimensional (3D) terrain and building maps. Simulated pseudoranges inform
the path planning algorithm about potential biases due to reflections from
buildings in urban environments. Simulation results are presented showing that
the optimal path produced by the proposed path planning strategy has the
minimum average HPL among the candidate paths.Comment: Submitted to ION GNSS+ 202
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Analysis and synthesis of collaborative opportunistic navigation systems
textNavigation is an invisible utility that is often taken for granted with considerable societal and economic impacts. Not only is navigation essential to our modern life, but the more it advances, the more possibilities are created. Navigation is at the heart of three emerging fields: autonomous vehicles, location-based services, and intelligent transportation systems. Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are insufficient for reliable anytime, anywhere navigation, particularly indoors, in deep urban canyons, and in environments under malicious attacks (e.g., jamming and spoofing). The conventional approach to overcome the limitations of GNSS-based navigation is to couple GNSS receivers with dead reckoning sensors. A new paradigm, termed opportunistic navigation (OpNav), is emerging. OpNav is analogous to how living creatures naturally navigate: by learning their environment. OpNav aims to exploit the plenitude of ambient radio frequency signals of opportunity (SOPs) in the environment. OpNav radio receivers, which may be handheld or vehicle-mounted, continuously search for opportune signals from which to draw position and timing information, employing on-the-fly signal characterization as necessary. In collaborative opportunistic navigation (COpNav), multiple receivers share information to construct and continuously refine a global signal landscape. For the sake of motivation, consider the following problem. A number of receivers with no a priori knowledge about their own states are dropped in an environment comprising multiple unknown terrestrial SOPs. The receivers draw pseudorange observations from the SOPs. The receivers' objective is to build a high-fidelity signal landscape map of the environment within which they localize themselves in space and time. We then ask: (i) Under what conditions is the environment fully observable? (ii) In cases where the environment is not fully observable, what are the observable states? (iii) How would receiver-controlled maneuvers affect observability? (iv) What is the degree of observability of the various states in the environment? (v) What motion planning strategy should the receivers employ for optimal information gathering? (vi) How effective are receding horizon strategies over greedy for receiver trajectory optimization, and what are their limitations? (vii) What level of collaboration between the receivers achieves a minimal price of anarchy? This dissertation addresses these fundamental questions and validates the theoretical conclusions numerically and experimentally.Electrical and Computer Engineerin
Cyber Security in the Maritime Industry: A Systematic Survey of Recent Advances and Future Trends
The paper presents a classification of cyber attacks within the context of the state of the art in the maritime industry. A systematic categorization of vessel components has been conducted, complemented by an analysis of key services delivered within ports. The vulnerabilities of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) have been given particular consideration since it is a critical subcategory of many maritime infrastructures and, consequently, a target for cyber attacks. Recent research confirms that the dramatic proliferation of cyber crimes is fueled by increased levels of integration of new enabling technologies, such as IoT and Big Data. The trend to greater systems integration is, however, compelling, yielding significant business value by facilitating the operation of autonomous vessels, greater exploitation of smart ports, a reduction in the level of manpower and a marked improvement in fuel consumption and efficiency of services. Finally, practical challenges and future research trends have been highlighted
Novel Models and Algorithms Paving the Road towards RF Convergence
After decades of rapid evolution in electronics and signal processing, the technologies in communications, positioning, and sensing have achieved considerable progress. Our daily lives are fundamentally changed and substantially defined by the advancement in these technologies. However, the trend is challenged by a well-established fact that the spectrum resources, like other natural resources, are gradually becoming scarce. This thesis carries out research in the field of RF convergence, which is regarded as a mean to intelligently exploit spectrum resources, e.g., by finding novel methods of optimising and sharing tasks between communication, positioning, and sensing.
The work has been done to closely explore opportunities for supporting the RF convergence. As a supplement for the electromagnetic waves propagation near the ground, ground-to-air channel models are first proposed and analysed, by incorporating the atmospheric effects when the altitude of aerial users is higher than 300 m. The status quos of techniques in communications, positioning, and sensing are separately reviewed, and our newly developments in each field are briefly introduced. For instance, we study the MIMO techniques for interference mitigation on aerial users; we construct the reflected echoes, i.e., the radar receiving, for the joint sensing and communications system. The availability of GNSS signals is of vital importance to the GNSS-enabled services, particularly the life-critical applications. To enhance the resilience of GNSS receivers, the RF fingerprinting based anti-spoofing techniques are also proposed and discussed. Such a guarantee on GNSS and ubiquitous GNSS services drive the utilisation of location information, also needed for communications, hence the proposal of a location-based beamforming algorithm. The superposition coding scheme, as an attempt of the waveform design, is also brought up for the joint sensing and communications.
The RF convergence will come with many facets: the joint sensing and communications promotes an efficient use of frequency spectrum; the positioning-aided communications encourage the cooperation between systems; the availability of robust global positioning systems benefits the applications relying on the GNSS service
Space Systems: Emerging Technologies and Operations
SPACE SYSTEMS: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND OPERATIONS is our seventh textbook in a series covering the world of UASs / CUAS/ UUVs. Other textbooks in our series are Drone Delivery of CBNRECy – DEW Weapons: Emerging Threats of Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disruption (WMDD); Disruptive Technologies with applications in Airline, Marine, Defense Industries; Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land; Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technologies and Operations; Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain: Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 2nd edition; and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Cyber Domain Protecting USA\u27s Advanced Air Assets, 1st edition. Our previous six titles have received considerable global recognition in the field. (Nichols & Carter, 2022) (Nichols et al., 2021) (Nichols R. K. et al., 2020) (Nichols R. et al., 2020) (Nichols R. et al., 2019) (Nichols R. K., 2018)
Our seventh title takes on a new purview of Space. Let\u27s think of Space as divided into four regions. These are Planets, solar systems, the great dark void (which fall into the purview of astronomers and astrophysics), and the Dreamer Region. The earth, from a measurement standpoint, is the baseline of Space. It is the purview of geographers, engineers, scientists, politicians, and romantics. Flying high above the earth are Satellites. Military and commercial organizations govern their purview. The lowest altitude at which air resistance is low enough to permit a single complete, unpowered orbit is approximately 80 miles (125 km) above the earth\u27s surface. Normal Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite launches range between 99 miles (160 km) to 155 miles (250 km). Satellites in higher orbits experience less drag and can remain in Space longer in service. Geosynchronous orbit is around 22,000 miles (35,000 km). However, orbits can be even higher. UASs (Drones) have a maximum altitude of about 33,000 ft (10 km) because rotating rotors become physically limiting. (Nichols R. et al., 2019) Recreational drones fly at or below 400 ft in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, E) and are permitted with prior authorization by using a LAANC or DroneZone. Recreational drones are permitted to fly at or below 400 ft in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. (FAA, 2022) However, between 400 ft and 33,000 ft is in the purview of DREAMERS.
In the DREAMERS region, Space has its most interesting technological emergence. We see emerging technologies and operations that may have profound effects on humanity. This is the mission our book addresses. We look at the Dreamer Region from three perspectives:1) a Military view where intelligence, jamming, spoofing, advanced materials, and hypersonics are in play; 2) the Operational Dreamer Region; whichincludes Space-based platform vulnerabilities, trash, disaster recovery management, A.I., manufacturing, and extended reality; and 3) the Humanitarian Use of Space technologies; which includes precision agriculture wildlife tracking, fire risk zone identification, and improving the global food supply and cattle management.
Here’s our book’s breakdown:
SECTION 1 C4ISR and Emerging Space Technologies. C4ISR stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. Four chapters address the military: Current State of Space Operations; Satellite Killers and Hypersonic Drones; Space Electronic Warfare, Jamming, Spoofing, and ECD; and the challenges of Manufacturing in Space.
SECTION 2: Space Challenges and Operations covers in five chapters a wide purview of challenges that result from operations in Space, such as Exploration of Key Infrastructure Vulnerabilities from Space-Based Platforms; Trash Collection and Tracking in Space; Leveraging Space for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; Bio-threats to Agriculture and Solutions From Space; and rounding out the lineup is a chapter on Modelling, Simulation, and Extended Reality.
SECTION 3: Humanitarian Use of Space Technologies is our DREAMERS section. It introduces effective use of Drones and Precision Agriculture; and Civilian Use of Space for Environmental, Wildlife Tracking, and Fire Risk Zone Identification.
SECTION 3 is our Hope for Humanity and Positive Global Change. Just think if the technologies we discuss, when put into responsible hands, could increase food production by 1-2%. How many more millions of families could have food on their tables?
State-of-the-Art research by a team of fifteen SMEs is incorporated into our book. We trust you will enjoy reading it as much as we have in its writing. There is hope for the future.https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1047/thumbnail.jp
Design, Modelling and Analysis of Satcoms for UAV operations
Η ανάγκη για άμεση συνεισφορά, απόκριση και ακρίβεια των αποτελεσμάτων οδήγησε στην είσοδο των drones και ιδιαίτερα των μη επανδρωμένων εναέριων οχημάτων (UAV) ως νέα τεχνολογικά οχήματα. Ωστόσο, η ενσωμάτωση ενός τόσο κολοσσιαίου τεχνολογικού αποκτήματος δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολη υπόθεση. Πολλές απαιτήσεις εμφανίζονται σε διάφορους τομείς όπως τηλεπικοινωνίες, προβλήματα ωφέλιμου φορτίου που πρέπει να φέρει το UAV και σχέδια λειτουργίας, απαιτήσεις που πρέπει να πληρούνται για την αποφυγή προβλημάτων ασφάλειας, αποφυγή σύγκρουσης, ασταθείς συνδέσεις και άλλα.
Σκοπός της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι να μελετήσει όσο το δυνατόν καλύτερα και αποτελεσματικότερα τη συμβολή των δορυφορικών επικοινωνιών στην επίτευξη αξιόπιστων και ανθεκτικών επιχειρήσεων Μη Επανδρωμένων Αεροσκαφών (UAV). Θα παρουσιαστεί μια ανάλυση τριών επιπέδων που θα αφορά τον Σχεδιασμό, τη Μοντελοποίηση και την Ανάλυση δορυφορικών επικοινωνιών σε συνδυασμό με λειτουργίες UAV με τρόπο που η αποτελεσματικότητα της ζεύξης θα είναι μέγιστη εφικτή. Σε τελική ανάλυση, θα πραγματοποιηθεί ένα πείραμα που θα συζητηθούν τα αποτελέσματα και οι παράμετροι που χρησιμοποιούνται προκειμένου να υπολογιστεί η αποτελεσματικότητα του προϋπολογισμού των ζεύξεων.
Είναι σημαντικό να γνωρίζουμε ότι οι κυψελοειδείς επικοινωνίες έχουν παίξει μέχρι στιγμής τον πιο σημαντικό και ακριβή ρόλο τόσο στις επίγειες όσο και στις αεροπορικές επικοινωνίες. Αυτό πρόκειται να αλλάξει καθώς οι δορυφόροι υπόσχονται χαρακτηριστικά που δεν μπορούν να ανταγωνιστούν τα επίγεια δίκτυα, με αποτέλεσμα την ενοποίηση των UAV με τις δορυφορικές επικοινωνίες. Ωστόσο, τα πράγματα είναι ασαφή και οι κίνδυνοι που ενέχουν είτε από την άποψη των προσωπικών δεδομένων είτε από την ασφάλεια και την υγεία μπορούν να λειτουργήσουν ως εμπόδιο στην ανάπτυξη και την αναβάθμιση των επικοινωνιών.The need for immediate contribution, response, and accuracy of results has led to the
entry of drones and especially Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as new technological
vehicles. However, the integration of such a colossal technological acquisition is by no
means an easy task. Many requirements appear in various areas such as
telecommunications, payload problems that the UAV must carry, and operations plans,
requirements that must be met to avoid safety issues, collision avoidance, unstable
connections, and so more.
The purpose of this thesis is to study as best as possible and most effectively the
contribution of satellite communications to achieve reliable and durable Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAVs) operations. A three-level analysis will be presented which will concern
the Design, Modeling, and Analysis of satellite communications in combination with UAV
operations in a way where efficiency of the link will be maximum. After all, an experiment
will take place that results and parameters used will be discussed in order to compute the
efficiency of the link budget.
It is important to know that cellular communications have so far played the most important
and accurate role in both terrestrial and air communications. This is about to change as
satellites promise features that cannot compete with terrestrial networks, resulting in the
integration of UAVs with satellite communications. However, things are unclear, and the
risks posed either from the point of view of personal data or from safety and health can
act as an obstacle in developing and upgrading communications