Testimony by Todd E. Humphreys, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin. [Excerpted. Prof. Humphreys is a co-author of the article “Drone Hack” in the August issue of GPS World.].

The vulnerability of civil GPS to spoofing has serious implications for civil unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as was recently illustrated by a dramatic remote hijacking of a UAV at White Sands Missile Range.

Hacking a UAV by GPS spoofing is but one expression of a larger problem: insecure civil GPS technology has over the last two decades been absorbed deeply into critical systems within our national infrastructure. Besides UAVs, civil GPS spoofing also presents a danger to manned aircraft, maritime craft, communications systems, banking and finance institutions, and the national power grid.

Constructing from scratch a sophisticated GPS spoofer like the one developed by the University of Texas is not easy. It is not within the capability of the average person on the street, or even the average Anonymous hacker. But the emerging tools of software-defined radio and the availability of GPS signal simulators are putting spoofers within reach of ordinary malefactors.

There is no quick, easy, and cheap fix for the civil GPS spoofing problem. What is more, not even the most effective GPS spoofing defenses are foolproof. But reasonable, cost-effective spoofing defenses exist which, if implemented, will make successful spoofing much harder.

I recommend that for non-recreational operation in the national airspace civil UAVs exceeding 18 lbs be required to employ navigation systems that are spoof-resistant.

More broadly, I recommend that GPS-based timing or navigation systems having a non-trivial role in systems designated by DHS as national critical infrastructure be required to be spoof-resistant.

Finally, I recommend that the DHS commit to funding development and implementation of a cryptographic authentication signature in one of the existing or forthcoming civil GPS signals.

Complete testimony (PDF) covers:

• The potential vulnerabilities of U.S. national transportation, communications, banking and finance, and energy distribution infrastructure;
• What does it take to build a spoofer? Buy a spoofer?
• Range and required knowledge of target.
• Fixing the problem:
  • Jamming-to-noise sensing defense;
  • Defense based on SSSC or NMA on WAAS signals;
  • Multi-system multi-grequency defense;
  • Single-antenna defense;
  • Defense based on spread-spectrum security codes on L1C;
  • Defense based on navigation message authentication on L1C, L2C, or L5;
  • Correlation prole anomaly defense;
  • Multi-antenna defense;
  • Defense based on cross-correlation with military signals.

According to the announcement, the SXBlue III GNSS uses new, patented technology that allows it to generate corrections for both GPS and GLONASS satellite data even if the user’s reference station (or RTK network) only supports GPS. This opens up productivity benefits of GLONASS to all high-precision users around the world, and not just ones who have access to GLONASS-enabled reference stations, Geneq said.

“With its competitive price and creative implementation of GLONASS, the SXBlue III GNSS will open new doors for users who want to improve their productivity with GLONASS but don’t have control over their reference station infrastructure,” said Jean-Yves Lauture, product engineer. “With the SXBlue III GNSS, the user doesn’t need to be concerned with their RTK reference station at all. It could be a 20 year-old GPS-only reference station and the SXBlue III GNSS will still create corrections for the GLONASS data and allow you the benefit of GPS/GLONASS RTK productivity in the field.”

By implementing GLONASS, the SXBlue III GNSS immediately increases your RTK productivity with its ability to track 55 satellites (31 GPS, 24 GLONASS). With 12 to 19 satellites in view at all times, the SXBlue III GNSS provides superior performance when working in tough environments such as in and around tree canopy, buildings, and rugged terrain.

The company reports the next-generation SXBlue III GNSS is a small, palm-sized unit that uses a 2.7-inch diameter GNSS antenna. The unit is  waterproof (submersible), dustproof, and ruggedized, with an IP-67 rating. Its Class-1 long-range Bluetooth 2.0 has a typical range of 250 meters. The internal, rechargeable, field replaceable Li-Ion battery has on-board LEDs to let the user know how much battery life is left. The operating temperature range of the SXBlue III GNSS is -40°C (-40°F) to 85°C (185°F).

In addition to the built-in long-range Bluetooth transceiver, the SXBlue III GNSS also has a standard DB-9 RS-232 port and a USB Type B port whose outputs are fully programmable up to 10-Hz standard with a 20-Hz option.

The SXBlue III GNSS is targeted at high-precision users in industries such as surveying, GIS, utilities, construction, agriculture, engineering, and other natural resource industries in addition to local, state, and federal government users.

According to the announcement, this upgrade delivers significant enhancements including an increase in tag read rate of up to 75 percent and greater data acquisition rates with every tag read. Several application-specific features designed to read RFID tags in diverse and challenging conditions have also been introduced, including:

• A new “fast search” tag reading mode
• The ability to obtain up to 128 bytes of data with every tag read
• ISO 18000-6B performance enhancements
• Support for IDS Micro SL900A Gen2 Class 3 Sensor Tags

Driven by increased demand for RFID-enabled solutions in the transportation, supply chain, retail and healthcare markets, Trimble reports these new features offer several application specific improvements:

The ThingMagic M6e embedded module now includes a ‘fast search’ algorithm which forces tags to respond rapidly and repeatedly for optimal read performance across diverse use cases. This feature supports applications such as tolling, vehicle management and race timing where fast moving tags need to be distinguished from each other with a high degree of accuracy. Operational up to 200 kilometers per hour, ‘fast search’ supports both Gen2 and ISO 18000-6B tags.

Superior receive sensitivity, higher tag read rates, and better adaptation to changing tag populations enhance the ability of the ThingMagic M6e and M6 readers to read RFID tags in varied environments and on more items. For example, in a retail supply chain, manufacturers can track high volumes of items on densely packed pallets across multiple distribution points and retailers can inventory tagged items rapidly and with predictable accuracy. In addition, the ability to read more data from every tag supports emerging retail uses such as anti-counterfeiting, brand protection and other security-sensitive applications, without impacting the performance of tag inventory or tag encoding activities.

This upgrade also adds support for the full cool-Log command set for IDS SL900A sensor tags, addressing increased demand for temperature and state monitoring within utilities, food/cold-chain, healthcare and other markets. The IDS 900A is an EPC global Class 3 tag IC which can be operated in either semi-passive or passive mode.

“This release represents a significant step in optimizing our portfolio of high-performance embedded RFID modules and finished RFID readers for use across industries,” said Tom Grant, general manager of Trimble’s ThingMagic Division. “Superior performance and versatility continue to be primary differentiators for our products. Equally important are advancements in ease of use which are fundamental to the growth of RFID-enabled solutions and driving better business results across a growing number of connected enterprise applications.”

With a key goal of driving the barriers for deploying RFID technology as low as possible, this update improves the out-of-the-box experience for solution developers and end users of ThingMagic M6 readers. An improved Web interface includes a reorganization of configuration and management screens, new performance tuning settings, and enhanced tag data access and displays. Enhancements also include zero configuration support for automating network connectivity, Web-based device discovery and management and advanced testing capabilities.

Trimble reports that a redesign of the ThingMagic Universal Reader Assistant is also available. Supported by all ThingMagic readers, this utility is used to initialize readers and perform common tasks, including selecting application specific performance settings. With a focus on ease-of-use, this redesign meets the needs of an expanding customer base by reducing complexity for novice users while permitting low-level control for advanced users.

Spaceflight Now is reporting that the next GPS satellite, Block IIF-3 (SVN65) to be launched on October 4, 2012, will be positioned in orbital slot 1, which is in plane A. This slot is currently occupied by a Block IIA satellite, SVN39, operating as PRN09. SVN39 is one of the oldest operating satellites in the GPS fleet, having been launched on June 26, 1993.

This will be the third satellite in the Block IIF series of GPS spacecraft with improved accuracy, enhanced internal atomic clocks, better anti-jam resistance, a civil signal for commercial aviation (and others) and a longer design life. Boeing is building a dozen craft to upgrade the constellation’s foundation over the coming years.

After more than four years of service as a Galileo test-bed satellite, GIOVE-B was retired on July 23. Its navigation transmitters were switched off and, according to an announcement from the European Space Agency, the satellite’s height was subsequently raised in a series of steps to place it in a so-called “graveyard” orbit where there will be no danger of it interfering with the operational Galileo satellites or other spacecraft.

After the first delta-V orbit manoeuvre, NORAD/JSpOC lost the satellite — at least NORAD/JSpOC stopped providing updated two-line orbital element sets for it. Eventually, 24 days later, the agency found it and resumed issuing element sets.

Just before the orbit manoeuvres, GIOVE-B had a mean motion of 1.70959839 orbits per day according to NORAD/JSpOC, which translates to an orbit semi-major axis value of approximately 29,544 kilometres. When NORAD/JSpOC recovered the satellite, its mean motion was 1.65377594 orbits per day with a semi-major axis of 30,205 kilometres, a change of 661 kilometres.

The Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC) was established to facilitate communication among civilian GPS users, identify civilian user community needs, and report to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation. The U.S. state and local government subcommittee meeting moves around to different parts of the U.S. The next meeting is the annual CGSIC meeting, typically held the two days prior to the Institute of Navigation (ION) GNSS conference. This year it’s being held in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gakstatter reports on how GNSS receiver technology is moving much faster than GPS policymakers can keep up with, the National Telcommunications and Information Administration’s efforts to execute the National Broadband Plan, and a whether illegal jamming has been on the rise.

According to the announcement, the program is designed to foster innovative approaches that solve natural resources management problems, the Natural Resources Imagery Grant Program will provide 20 grants valued at $100,000 each. The grant includes the following:

• Esri GIS software and training
• PCI Geomatics imagery processing and analysis software and training
• MDA RADARSAT-2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery
• RapidEye 5-meter multispectral imagery

“GIS and image processing are mission-critical technologies in natural resources management,” said Jack Dangermond, president, Esri. “This grant opportunity will help organizations expand their existing imagery or GIS infrastructure and more efficiently support sustainable land-use management.”

Companies, educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), state and regional governments, or tribal governments within the United States may apply. Eligible projects are those that focus on remotely sensed imagery beyond the visible spectrum. Preferred projects will also demonstrate increased efficiency, productivity, or accuracy.

“Technology leaders and innovators should be presented with opportunities to advance their resources projects,” said Terry Maloney, president and CEO, PCI Geomatics. “This imagery grant program will bring solutions to the natural resources industries through inventive and operational use of satellite imagery.”

Applications for the Natural Resources Imagery Grant Program will be accepted beginning in September 2012 and ending November 16, 2012. Learn more at esri.com/imagerygrant.

Topcon Positioning Systems has unveiled the HiPer SR — an advanced GNSS RTK receiver that Topcon describes as having “the most compact and lightweight design of any fully integrated precision receiver — ever.”

With the HiPer SR, Topcon is expanding the delivery of high-accuracy RTK technology to a variety of users — surveyors who need a tool for small boundary or stakeout work, non-traditional users such as landscape architects who need a low-cost mapping solution, and law enforcement or any others requiring high-accuracy 3D positioning.

Cable-free and weighing under 2 pounds, the rugged and fully integrated design delivers a 1,000-foot working radius through Topcon’s new LongLink technology. The LongLink wireless data link was developed specifically for the HiPer SR, and provides reliable and interference-free RTK base-to-rover communications that don’t require an FCC license to operate, Topcon said. Base and rover units can be used interchangeably.

The HiPer SR can also be a dedicated network rover. All standard RTK correction formats and network protocols are supported, and a comprehensive range of field workflows are realized with the Magnet family of cloud-enabled software solutions.

The HiPer SR’s 226-channel Vanguard GNSS chip provides precision measurement and advanced multipath rejection, offers support for all modernized GNSS constellations, and incorporates Topcon’s patented Universal Tracking Channel technology whereby any channel can track any available signal, reducing power consumption and system weight. As more GNSS signals come online, this flexibility enables the 226-channel Vanguard design to scale up and track more signals than other GNSS systems.

Additional features of the HiPer SR include:

• Quartz Lock Loop technology. Designed by Topcon engineers for superior GNSS tracking in high-vibration environments, such as on a four wheeler;
• Capable of simultaneous LongLink operation with multiple rovers;
• Sealed battery pack provides more than 15 hours of operation;
• Lightweight and shock-resistant magnesium alloy housing, allowing the HiPer SR to take a 6 ft. (2m) pole drop onto concrete