Federal Drive

GPS vulnerabilities could bring down smartgrid

University of Texas researcher successfully spoofs GPS timing signals which could incapacitate the base stations used by Sprint and Verizon.

Federal News Network Staff

October 19, 2010 9:30 am

< a min read

A Texas professor says he’s found a way to jeopardize equipment that’s critical to cellular networks and the smart electric grid. Todd Humphreys, of the University of Texas, says he has spoofed Sprint and Verizon network technology that relies on GPS timing signals. NextGov reports that if a criminal carried out the same kind of attack, it could incapacitate the base stations that both companies use. Humphreys also says he’s compromised the type of timing receiver that power grid operators use to measure the state of the electrical system. That wouldn’t bring down the smart grid, but it could make the power system less reliable.

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