Today, GPS or Global Positioning System is part and parcel of our lives; unfortunately it is getting undefendable against hacking. This is a crucial reason why US engineers are working to harness quantum sensing technology to decrease current reliance on the world’s most ubiquitous navigation technology and present a more secure, correct approach to mapping and navigation.
GPS’ vulnerability to hacking subjects potentially dangerous security risks in essential systems, from satellite communications to air traffic control. According to experts, quantum sensing technology introduces a pioneering and revolutionizing approach to measuring things.
One can unequivocally say that this is an exciting time because the challenges being presented are unique and needs to be resolved at a fast pace. In any case, there are emerging needs in both instrumentation technologies and insecurity where quantum sensing is the answer.
Quantum sensors have the potential to extend beyond the reach of conventional systems of measurement: they rely on the squeezing effect, whereby photons have the precariousness inherent to their attributes minimized to measure the position of a location accurately.
To create new navigation tools, experts are planning to incorporate chip-based sources of quantum-squeezed light into existing optical gyroscopes. In addition to enhancing mapping accuracy, he notes that there are also situations in which a GPS would not be operational, such as underwater or at the North or South Poles and here quantum technology will be of great assistance. Quantum sensing also offers a solution to security breaches. Dissimilar to GPS platforms, quantum-enhanced navigation apparatus does not depend on satellites to work, which makes them less subjected to hacking or spoofing – in a case where the location is falsely masqueraded as something else.
GPS hacking and spoofing had gained momentum and became popular recently when researchers successfully hacked a yacht’s navigation system to bring it off its programmed course to the discovery of dozens of Russian ships whose GPS signals bespoke they were on land when they were in fact out on the sea. Based on this the experts believe that there is an urgency to develop and understand the defense capabilities of these rapidly evolving quantum technologies. With different types of location-based services available in the market, GPS appears to be an essential feature in today’s digitally driven world.
On the flipside, GPS or Global Positioning System data can be used to culminate serious problems including life-threatening ones — if the control falls into the wrong hands, an expert warns. From car navigation systems to ‘Pokemon Go,’ most of the things today use GPS as a reliable source of location information and people trust the same blindly. Hence, experts are developing systems to prevent what’s called GPS spoofing — the falsification of location data. Spoofing can be done quickly and only needs an instrument called a GPS simulator. Adopted by manufacturers to test the efficiency of their products, GPS simulators yield the same kind of signals as GPS satellites and can change the location information received by devices such as smartphones or car navigation systems.
