# Assessing Cyber Challenges of Maritime Navigation
## 3 Findings
### Cyber Trends and Challenges
#### 3.3.5 Jamming and Spoofing  
This chapter presents the vulnerability of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to jamming and spoofing activities of state and non-state actors that can cause significant damage to major economies and everyday consumers alike. GNSS refers to a space-based system such as the US Global Positioning System (GPS/NAVSTAR--a military capability which civilian use), Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), the European Union's Galileo System (a civil project intended for civil government and commercial use), and China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System. In addition, there are regional systems such as India's Navigation Indian Constellation (NavIC) and Japan's Quazi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). _GNSS Jamming_ is the deliberate transmission of signals on frequencies used by GNSS in an effort to prevent receivers from locking-on to authentic GNSS Signals. GNSS jamming requires relatively little technical knowledge and can be conducted by merely drowning out genuine signals with random or disruptive noise. _GNSS Spoofing_ refers to the transmission of simulated false GNSS satellite ephemeris and timing information which coerces the victim receiver into calculating incorrect positioning and, in some cases, timing information [108; 109]. GNSS spoofing is quite different from GNSS jamming. While navigation systems sound alarms when they recognize jammers, spoofing systems create false signals that confuse even state-of-the-art GNSS systems, leading to more severe consequences. To mitigate most of the vulnerabilities of one navigational system, it is recommended to use more of them [3]. The threat of GNSS spoofing has been known to the maritime industry for years. In 2017, the incident at Gelendzhik Airport received attention in international media. At least 20 vessels in the vicinity of the Black Sea Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port reported that their AIS traces erroneously showed their position as Gelendzhik Airport, around 32 km inland. There were a large number of vessels involved, and all of the ships' tracking systems placed them in the same nonsensical location. That led to informed speculation that the incident could be attributed to one of the space superpower states' testing of satellite navigation spoofing technology. Whether it was as part of its electronic warfare arsenal or they were simply using it as an anti-drone measure for very VIP protection, it is somewhat suggestive that it was GNSS spoofing of defense development inflicted on a civilian scenario. In his research, [PERSON] [87] has found ships in various parts of the world reporting locations thousands of miles away and circling at precisely 20 knots. It is unclear if these errors were the result of the ships' AIS system or some fault or influence on GPS receivers, a real mystery of some form of GPS interference. In another event, in July 2019, a British oil tanker, the Stena Impero, was seized by Iranian forces after being spoofed to cause the vessel to shift its course into Iranian waters. As a consequence, the vessel, cargo, and the crew had become more than pawns in a geopolitical war [111]. Many of the shipping companies operating ships in the region have also instructed their vessels to transit Hormuz only at high speed and during the daylight hours. Nevertheless, we should not forget that one-third of the world's seaborne oil--some 17 million barrels per day--passes through the strait, making it one of the most important oil trading routes in the world. AIS is a critical safety system designed to provide a ship's position and course to neighboring ships to prevent collision [3]. The manipulation of the AIS system that was observed not long ago, on 3 December 2019, as illustrated in Figure 1, might have been spoofing. An Italian AIS base station experienced a ship-spoofing situation near Elba Island that was visible in the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) Maritime Application, SSN Ecosystem GUI [89].