BlueSky GNSS Firewall

Overview

Protects GNSS Systems against spoofing and jamming threats

The vulnerability of GNSS systems to various signal incidents is well documented. The rapid proliferation of GNSS systems has embedded these vulnerabilities into critical national infrastructure as well as corporate infrastructures that rely on GNSS-delivered position, navigation and timing (PNT) for daily operations. The widespread deployment of GNSS makes it impractical to replace all fielded GNSS 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 GNSS 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 BlueSky^TM GNSS Firewall protects already deployed GNSS systems by providing a cost-effective overlay solution installed between existing GNSS antennas and GNSS systems. Similar to a network firewall, the BlueSky GNSS Firewall protects systems inside the firewall from untrusted sky-based signals outside the firewall.

The new BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0 includes charting and advanced threshold settings of GNSS observables.  These improvements are as a result of participation in an industry live-sky testing event hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which included GNSS threat scenarios.

Identifies and Protects GNSS Systems from Spoofing and Jamming

Integrates seamlessly between existing GNSS Antenna and GNSS system

Microsemi’s BlueSky GNSS Firewall is deployed in-line between an existing GNSS antenna and GNSS receiver system and can be placed near the GNSS receiver system or near the point at which the GNSS antenna cable enters the building.  Thus, nearly all currently deployed GNSS 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 GNSS detection capabilities while also extending holdover performance of the hardened GNSS 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 GNSS 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 GNSS subframes for spoofing incidents based on defined data validation rules. A wide range of rules have already been built into the BlueSky GNSS Firewall to detect suspicious time and position inconsistencies. As with traditional security firewalls, new validation rules are dynamically loaded into the BlueSky GNSS 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 GNSS reception parameters across a wide-scale deployment of BlueSky GNSS Firewalls.  GNSS signal measurements such as GNSS phase deviation, GNSS satellites in view, and GNSS signal strength can be plotted for selected time periods.  This aids critical infrastructure operations to more quickly identify and isolate GNSS incidents.