POSTER: Detecting GNSS misbehaviour with high-precision clocks

TL;DR

This paper proposes a cost-effective, high-precision clock ensemble device for GNSS spoofing detection, especially useful when network synchronization is unavailable, enhancing security and reliability of GNSS receivers.

Contribution

Introduction of a compact, affordable hardware clock ensemble for GNSS security, compatible with existing systems and capable of high stability without network reliance.

Findings

Preliminary design of a stable clock device for GNSS security.

Potential for integration with network synchronization for enhanced assurance.

Feasibility demonstrated with promising stability results.

Abstract

To mitigate spoofing attacks targeting global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receivers, one promising method is to rely on alternative time sources, such as network-based synchronization, in order to detect clock offset discrepancies caused by GNSS attacks. However, in case of no network connectivity, such validation references would not be available. A viable option is to rely on a local time reference; in particular, precision hardware clock ensembles of chip-scale thermally stable oscillators with extended holdover capabilities. We present a preliminary design and results towards a custom device capable of providing a stable reference, with smaller footprint and cost compared to traditional precision clocks. The system is fully compatible with existing receiver architecture, making this solution feasible for most industrial scenarios. Further integration with network-based synchronization can provide a complete time assurance system, with high short- and long-term stability.