BlueSky GNSS Firewall

Overview

Protects GPS Systems against spoofing and jamming threats

The vulnerability of GPS systems to various signal incidents is well documented. The rapid proliferation of GPS systems has embedded these vulnerabilities into critical national infrastructure as well as corporate infrastructures that rely on GPS-delivered position, navigation and timing (PNT) for daily operations. The widespread deployment of GPS makes it impractical to replace all fielded GPS systems in a timely or cost-effective manner. 

Microsemi provides a portfolio of technologies, products, and services that enables operators of Critical Infrastructure to construct a secure and robust PNT network that is resilient to GPS errors as well as errors coming from other sky-based delivery channels such as Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, or another.  Details of this complete portfolio can be found here.

The new BlueSky^TM GNSS Firewall protects already deployed GPS systems by providing a cost-effective overlay solution installed between existing GNSS antennas and GPS systems. Similar to a network firewall, the BlueSky GNSS Firewall protects systems inside the firewall from untrusted sky-based signals outside the firewall.

Identifies and Protects GPS Systems from Spoofing and Jamming

Integrates seamlessly between existing GPS Antenna and GPS system

Microsemi’s BlueSky GNSS Firewall is deployed in-line between an existing GPS antenna and GPS receiver system and can be placed near the GPS receiver system or near the point at which the GPS antenna cable enters the building.  Thus, nearly all currently deployed GPS antennas are supported without modifying the existing installation.

Optional Rubidium MAC (Miniature Atomic Clock) for enhanced threat detection and holdover

Upgrading the BlueSky GNSS Firewall with the MAC enhances anomalous GPS detection capabilities while also extending holdover performance of the hardened GPS signal output for multiple days.

1PPS and 10 MHz timing reference inputs for extended holdover

10 MHz or 1 PPS inputs allows for connection of autonomous references sources such as Microsemi's 5071A or TimeCesium products to extend the holdover performance in case of a complete loss of GPS reception for long periods of time.

Upgradeable Software in addition to secure and easy-to-use web interface

At the core of the BlueSky GNSS Firewall is a programmable anomaly detector that validates the GPS subframes for spoofing incidents based on defined data validation rules. A wide range of rules have already been built into the BlueSky GPS Firewall to detect suspicious time and position inconsistencies. As with traditional security firewalls, new validation rules are dynamically loaded into the BlueSky GPS Firewall as new threats are identified.

Wide scale management using TimePictra platform

Management of wide scale deployment of 10's, 100's or 1000's of BlueSky GNSS Firewall units is simplified using Microsemi's TimePictra management system. TimePictra enables a regional, national, or a global view of your PNT infrastructure to provide early alerting of threats before your PNT network is violated.

BlueSky Performance Monitoring

Integrated within TimePictra, BlueSky Performance Monitoring enables visibility of GPS reception parameters across a wide-scale deployment of BlueSky GNSS Firewalls.  GPS signal measurements such as GPS phase deviation, GPS satellites in view, and GPS signal strength can be plotted for selected time periods.  This aids critical infrastructure operations to more quickly identify and isolate GPS incidents.