How GPS Signals Could Be Used as a Covert Numbers Station
Plain bagel done well. Pleasantly substantive.
Summary
This article discusses how the United States may be using GPS signals as a covert "numbers station" for intelligence purposes. It explains that GPS satellites transmit navigation messages that include reserved bits and spare bits which could theoretically be used to transmit hidden data. Unlike traditional shortwave numbers stations that stand out as suspicious, GPS signals are ubiquitous and blend in, making them an ideal covert channel. The article references research by Steven Murdoch suggesting that the GPS L1 C/A navigation message structure contains unused fields that could carry clandestine communications without raising suspicion.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe best place to hide something is in plain sight.
In the old days, a broadcaster might slip a fake news story in mentioning a name that has a secret meaning, for example.
But according to [Steven Murdoch], the United States has an even more obvious hiding place for a numbers station: inside GPS.
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