The smartphone revolution happening across the globe means people are increasingly reliant on global technology networks. Data centers and connected devices store personal documents, photo libraries, and other personal data. They are also responsible for keeping track of various business information, what with 90 percent of companies now connected to the cloud. Essentially, data centers support the daily operations of some of the most important services needed in modern society.
Because of the huge amounts of data that is being stored, updated, and retrieved from these data centers across the globe, it’s important to protect them from jamming or spoofing attacks, system failure, and interference.
GNSS as a Protector of Data Centers
Data centers use timestamps to organize the data that they store and retrieve. Apart from being a piece of identification information, timestamps enable data centers to retrieve the most recent version of specific data that is being accessed and revised.
For example, hundreds of thousands of users may be accessing a cloud-based application simultaneously. This leads to data changing frequently. With reliable timestamps, the cloud-based application can determine the latest version of a specific data it receives.
GNSS signals are responsible for synchronizing these timestamps accurately. When these signals are compromised, timestamps from surveillance systems may become inaccurate, rendering video evidence inadmissible or the GPS in vehicles may be out of synch and give the wrong directions.
The best way to protect GNSS-reliant systems like data centers is to test them for vulnerabilities. GNSS inertial simulators can simulate spoofing, jamming, or interference attacks, making it easier to identify a system’s weakness. Information gathered from these simulations can help system experts design a more resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) information solution, one with signals that aren’t easily disrupted by interference, unlike GPS signals.
The Need for Resilient PNT Solutions
Data centers can ensure the highest levels of data integrity through the use of resilient PNT technologies. Accurate positioning, navigation, and timing data work to improve the reliability of critical operations, including power grids, financial systems, and communication networks.
Without accurate data secured by resilient PNT, the performance and safety of the operation of these industries may be at risk. What’s more, without resilient PNT, communication links may be lost, so will GPS signals, and there will be constant interference.
Protect Today’s Technology Hubs with Resilient PNT
The constant connection to devices that data centers provide fuel people’s ability to access information in an instant. Basically, this technology hubs act as a virtual brain of today’s society.
But before people can fully embrace this new form of technology, they must first address the challenges associated with it and ensure that GNSS signals are reliable and resilient against attacks. Through this, it will be easier to protect current systems and prevent security threats on these new capabilities.
One of the purveyors of security is CAST. For over 38 years, we have been an industry leader in providing GPS and GNSS simulators, which the military, the government, and commercial agencies use as powerfully accurate testing tools.
For more information about our dynamic GPS, GNSS/INS simulation systems, visit CAST today.
