What If The Enemy Has Placed False Information In Military Communications?
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Is this the worst nightmare of anyone whose job has to do with a reliable global communications system? Colbey Moore, who works for Synack – a company that deals with internet security – claims he can eavesdrop and even change the information flowing through Globalstar satellites, the largest supplier in the world for phone and data service via satellites which works with oil companies, militaries, governments etc.
Many organizations use Globalstar’s products for monitoring posessions in far away regions, such as receiving location for a fleet of trucks deep inside the desert via satellites that are sending the geographical data of the vehicles back to headquarters.
For less than a thousand dollars, Moor has put together a system much like the one Globalstar uses, plus several more relevant compnonents, allowing him to “steal” the information from the network before it reaches the satellite. He’s discovered that not only can he pick up GPS coordinates providing him with accurate information on any assets Globalstar is providing service to, but he has also managed to implant fake information of his own in to the data stream. Moore said that he has reported to company executives about the vulnerabilities he has discovered, but it seems that the complete sealing of Globalstar’s network is an impossible task for now.
So how bad is it, really? Many military men, journalists and social workers use satellite phones and satellites tracking devices in order to communicate from dangerous places and to make it easier to track easier to track them in case of kidnapping. Furthermore, oil and gas companies use these systems to monitor oil shipments worth millions of dollars. Many pilots are also using these systems to ensure control and to make sure their plane isn’t off course.
And what about the possibility of changing the information going through the network? Try and think about how the military might respond should a small private plane will change course and start flying straight towards the White House, or in a case where the enemy can know where an ambush is.
According to Globalstar, the situation is under control and they say that their workers will soon find out should anyone try and break in the system. It’s not yet clear how many armies are counting on the company’s network, but it’s known that Spain and other NATO-allies have signed business deals with the company in the past. And so, although tracking people and things via satellies was meant to make the world a safer place, it seems like it isn’t too secured in itself.
