The Use of GPS Spoofing Attacks in Location Deception

Global positioning systems (GPS) play an integral role in location-based systems. These systems are pervasive throughout the use of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), as being able to accurately determine location is essential to provide CAV functionality. This integral use of GPS has created the potential for CAV functionality dependent on knowing the location to be attacked, compromising the vehicle and instigating widespread impacts throughout the traffic infrastructure. The technical means as to how GPS systems can be spoofed are well known; however, less well-known and considered in literature is how GPS spoofing might be targeted to acquire preferential and deceitful behaviours. In this work, the necessary background into GPS workings is provided, before analysing how spoofing could be specifically used to gain preferential behaviour. This article serves as an introduction to this important and significant topic.