After Cyber Attack GPS Backup Revived by South Korea
South Korea has revitalized a recent project to construct a backup ship navigation system which would be difficult to hack. This took place in the immediate aftermath of North Korea’s attack on South Korea’s GPS signal causing disruption to the fishing vessel operations, official say. The vulnerability of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other related electronic navigation aids is due to the signal loss from solar weather effects, radio and satellite interference and predetermined jamming. Henceforth, South Korea has planned to roll out 15 billion won ($13 million) contract this month to secure technology required to build an alternative land-based radio system known as eLoran. South Korea hopes that this will provide a reliable alternative position and timing signals for navigation.
Nearly 1,000 aircraft and 700 ships originating from 5 locations along the border were affected due to the latest jamming campaign from the North which began on March 31 that lasted for a week, South Korean officials said.
“The need for us is especially high, because of the deliberate signal interference by North Korea,” South Korean government official involved in the initiative told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The reclusive North and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty. The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and its major ally, the United States.
Source: Reuters
