Case Study: Anti-Jamming Solution Protects Against Jammer-Based Hijackings

By DA Staff / 16 Sep 2022

Anti Jam GPS Antennas

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow DA

In this article, infiniDome discusses how its OtoSphere anti-jamming solution can provide protection and increase the resiliency of GPS devices against jamming attacks for defense and homeland security organizations. 


GPS technologies have become so widespread in modern times that it’s almost immeasurable. And we’re not just talking about your favorite navigation app on your phone. GPS has become absolutely crucial for national security as well as commercial activities. With this critical technology being extremely vulnerable to widely available jammers, the problem has become a national-level concern. 

Trucks rely heavily on accurate and reliable GPS data to ensure their operability and security. The GPS signals are extremely weak and particularly vulnerable to jamming. Without GPS signals, military fleets are unable to navigate and, more importantly, cannot be tracked from the control center. When a jamming scenario occurs, the Security Operations Center (SOC) is unable to even detect the incident, and remains completely unaware of any malicious activity. 

Malicious actors have begun to recognize the pivotal role GPS plays, and in recent years, thanks to the wide availability of cheap GPS signal jammers, these criminals have found an easy way to hack the technology, enabling them to steal valuable cargo without getting caught. 

GPS jammers have become almost standard issue for criminals engaged in cargo theft and drug trafficking. In the US and Europe, information regarding the frequency of GPS jamming in cargo theft is not widely available. But Mexico released their figures a few years ago, revealing that GPS jammers were used in an astonishing 85% of documented cargo truck thefts. Even with Mexico taking stricter measures against these incidents, the issue is continuing to worsen, with a truck robbery occurring every five minutes.

The core problem for any system using GPS is the nature of the signals themselves, which emanate from satellites located 20,000km above the Earth’s surface – making them inherently weak. All a jammer has to do to overpower the GPS signals is to emit a signal at the same frequency, just a bit more powerful than the original GPS signal. The typical jammers used for cargo hijackings are able to jam frequencies from up to 5 miles away. 

Along the US-Mexico border, drug cartels have been pouring money into jamming technologies in recent years, using jammers on border surveillance drones to hide their operations from the US government. 

GPS jamming along the US-Mexico border is an ongoing problem, with fairly significant interference having been detected as recently as March 2022 – in New Mexico, near military operating facilities no less. 

Mexican authorities have revealed that gangs in Mexico are hijacking hundreds of cargo trucks every month. These criminals are not afraid to use violence and are illegally operating police cars, so hijacked trucks, and indeed anyone, can become their next target. It’s clear that trucks are going to need real protection from jamming attacks if the situation is going to improve. 

infiniDome has developed the first anti-jamming solution that is compatible with almost any GPS-based telematics unit. 

The map below is a real-life example highlighting the route of an unprotected cargo truck that suffered a GPS jamming attack and subsequent cargo theft. The tracking overlay indicates that the vehicle stopped and was idle by the road for 13 minutes. But in actual fact, it was driven into the clearing marked to the right, illegally offloaded, then driven back along its normal route after the jammer was turned off. 

Anti-Jamming Solution Protects Against Jammer-Based Hijackings

To try and cope with cargo theft, the aforementioned truck owners developed “safe corridors” which are geofenced – built to trigger an alarm when the truck strays outside of them (the geofenced area is shown by the tan shade). The cargo thieves, obviously aware of this method of protection, used a GPS jammer that prevented the system from monitoring the truck’s location, thereby avoiding the triggering of an alert that the truck had left the geofenced corridor. The truck did signal an illegal stop though, and a quick investigation proved that the 13-minute diversion was all that was needed to empty the vehicle’s contents. 

infiniDome’s OtoSphere – an anti-jamming solution to protect against jammer-based hijackings and cargo theft – is a small add-on device created for commercial GNSS receivers, providing protection and increasing the resiliency of GPS devices against jamming attacks. 

By using multiple (off-the-shelf) antennas, the system analyzes which directions the attacks are coming from and creates a dynamic, directional filter for each one (thereby attenuating the force of each offensive vector). Its proprietary algorithm and hardware also adapts the depth of each filter to the strength of the attack – meaning the stronger the attack, the deeper the filter. 

The OtoSphere, already field-proven, with more than 200 units in use around the world, is beginning to be deployed operationally by defense and homeland security organizations worldwide. 

As the first management solution for jamming attacks, infiniDome’s infiniCloud provides even more peace of mind. Compatible with the OtoSphere, this GPS security cloud software monitors real-time jamming data using infiniDome’s GPSensor, providing alerts and early detection of jamming. 

Whether it’s maritime vessels, commercial truck fleets, UAVs or critical infrastructure, cyber shield solutions like those by infiniDome are ensuring continuity of autonomous navigation and operation under GPS-challenged environments. 

Posted by DA Staff Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

New 3D Radar System Launched with AI-Powered Drone Detection

Terma has introduced SCANTER Sphera, a compact 3D radar system with AI-driven drone detection and full 360° situational awareness

May 23, 2025
Triad RF Systems Certified to Global Quality Standard ISO 9001:2015

Triad RF Systems has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, reinforcing its commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and delivering reliable RF solutions worldwide

May 23, 2025
LiDAR’s Evolving Role in Security & Surveillance

Inertial Labs outlines how LiDAR, including UAV-mounted systems like RESEPI GEN-II, enhances perimeter security through precise mapping, environmental awareness, and real-time monitoring

May 23, 2025
Gyro Stabilization Solutions for Tactical Military Systems

Defense Advancement showcases high-precision gyro stabilization mounts for mission-critical military and defense applications

May 23, 2025
AI-Powered Mission Planning & Target Recognition Software Selected for Long-Range Loitering Munitions

Teledyne FLIR OEM's Prism Supervisor and Prism SKR software is being integrated into Dragoon Technology's UAS under the DIU's Project Artemis

May 22, 2025
GA-ASI Begins Ground Testing of Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft

GA-ASI has begun ground testing of its YFQ-42A uncrewed jet for the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program, targeting a summer 2025 first flight as part of next-generation combat aviation efforts

May 22, 2025

Featured Content

New Hybrid Solution for Long-Term GNSS-Denied Navigation

Advanced Navigation has demonstrated a major breakthrough with a Hybrid Navigation System designed for GPS-denied environments, combining a strategic-grade FOG INS with a laser velocity sensor

May 21, 2025
New Line of Kinetic-Capable Unmanned Surface Vessels Introduced

Red Cat Holdings enters the maritime autonomy market with a new line of combat-proven USVs, expanding its multi-domain unmanned systems for naval operations

May 20, 2025
Next-Gen Group 2 UAS Enters Production with Extended Endurance & Upgrades

Aurora Flight Sciences upgrades the SKIRON-X Group 2 UAS with greater versatility and tactical mission endurance, as well as announcing the hydrogen-powered SKIRON-XLE variant

May 13, 2025
Advancing Defense Capability Through Strategic Collaboration Defense Advancement works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive defense capabilities forward.