In April 2024 In 2018, the Finnish airline Finnair was forced to stop flights between Helsinki and Tartu due to systematic interference with the GNSS signal, which made it impossible for planes to land safely. This incident became an alarm signal: even in peacetime, satellite navigation can be vulnerable, endangering the safety of people and the functioning of modern technologies.
A growing threat
Incidents with jamming of GNSS — signals of the global navigation satellite system — have noticeably increased since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Electronic warfare, including jamming and spoofing, used to counter drones, which rely heavily on GPS for navigation. But these methods also affect civil aviation, maritime transport and even financial systems, which rely on accurate time synchronization via GNSS.
Experts warn: GNSS jammers are cheap, but effective methods of attack, especially against objects, that are not ready for such attacks. Even in peaceful Estonia, a significant increase in signal jamming cases has been recorded in recent years. Disturbances are especially noticeable in the airspace and the Gulf of Finland, which creates a traffic hazard.
Dependence on satellite navigation
GNSS provides more than just navigation, and synchronization of many critical processes, such as bank transactions, operation of energy networks and even automation of logistics. However, most satellite systems were created during the era, when cyber threats were not yet a serious challenge, therefore, they have limited protection.
Cyber security in the space sector
Естонія активно працює над посиленням безпеки супутникових систем. IN 2023 році країна отримала контракт від Європейського космічного агентства (THIS) на створення першого в Європі комерційного космічного кіберполігону. Цей інноваційний центр у Таллінні дозволить тестувати системи на стійкість до атак, таких як глушіння сигналу, моделюючи реальні сценарії.
Сільвер Лоді, генеральний директор компанії Spaceit, яка очолює цей проєкт, наголошує, що кіберполігон стане платформою для перевірки та сертифікації космічних технологій, which will help increase their resistance to modern threats.