Research and Development Services for Satellite Position Data Manipulation

The railway sector is increasingly interested in the use of GNSS positioning systems. Accurate and continuous positioning or time reference is essential for operating at safe distances (ETCS Level 3 and so-called Moving Block), making it indispensable for the digital railway as a fundamental technology. However, the 'open' GNSS signals at the Earth's surface are weak and can be manipulated, posing potential security risks for various areas, including rail transport. The two most common attacks are spoofing and jamming. GNSS spoofing is a type of cyberattack where fake position or time data is deliberately sent to the receiver, causing it to misidentify the fake data as genuine, leading to incorrect positioning. GNSS jamming involves jammers preventing satellite signals from reaching the receiver. Recently, authorities have reported targeted GNSS disruptions in the Baltic region, the Baltic Sea, and the adjacent mainland, particularly affecting maritime and aviation sectors. This indicates that railway applications are also at significant risk from manipulation of satellite position data. Despite these challenges, various measures against GNSS manipulations are already in place and being further developed, which will be examined in this project within the defined railway context.