Technology
NASA Is Testing Hardware to Fend Off GPS Hackers
Phony signals can confuse devices. Regulus Cyber’s palm-size device can ensure that they’re legit.
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Vehicles that rely on GPS navigation are vulnerable to spoofing, the sending of phony signals to lead them off their intended course. The palm-size Pyramid GPS SP from Regulus Cyber Ltd. uses a bundle of antennas and receivers to make sure the signals it’s reading are legit.
① A user plugs the Pyramid into a car or drone between the GPS receiver and control systems, or a manufacturer builds it in.
② The device triangulates the source of the signals it’s receiving by combining five antennas and onboard GPS receivers. Signals from unexpected directions trigger an alert.
③ The Pyramid switches to navigation from a route it downloaded before starting the trip, then back to live GPS data when it no longer detects any suspicious signals.