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Archived Technology Notes
Published in 2013

Permanent URL

“Spoofers” Use Fake GPS Signals to Knock a Yacht Off Course
by aviva hope rutkin

University of Texas researchers recently tricked the navigation system of an $80 million yacht and sent the ship off course in an experiment that showed how any device with civilian GPS technology is vulnerable to a practice called spoofing.

Led by GPS expert Todd Humphreys, the researchers used a handheld device they built for about $2,000. It generates a fake GPS signal that appears identical to those sent out by the real GPS. The two signals reach the targeted system in perfect alignment. The strength of the fake signal slowly ratchets up and overtakes the real one.

The yacht’s captain offered up his boat for the experiment after seeing Humphreys give a presentation at this year’s SXSW conference. The takeover took place in June while the boat was traveling in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy. From a perch onboard the yacht, the spoofing researchers shifted the ship’s course three degrees to the north. They also convinced the yacht’s GPS system that the boat was underwater. continued…

first published week of: 08/19/2013