> for use in distributing the keys for accessing the military GPS signals
It’s common knowledge that the military has access to a separate, encrypted, higher-precision GPS signal. “Numbers station” implies that they’re distributing unrelated encrypted information, but they’re not; it’s not surprising that GPS signals would be used to deliver information related to GPS, even if only military receivers have any use for it!
zerobees 30 minutes ago [-]
"Numbers station" is a weird analogy, because the idea of a numbers station was to broadcast messages to undercover operatives in a way that can be received using unmodified (and therefore non-suspicious) household radio receivers.
Here, it appears to be a rekeying system for specialized military gear.
moritzwarhier 26 minutes ago [-]
I think it's simply because of using a public channel for encrypted communication.
ronsor 6 minutes ago [-]
Technically all RF communications are "public." You have to use encryption if you want security.
jjtheblunt 33 seconds ago [-]
Would point to point laser seem like it's RF and not readily snooped without detection?
tokai 26 minutes ago [-]
Yeah its not a number station at all.
Analemma_ 18 minutes ago [-]
I disagree? The point of a numbers station is that it broadcasts in the clear and anyone with a receiver can get it, but only people with the appropriate decryption key can make any use of it. Since it's broadcasting all the time, there's no need for steganography or covert transmission. That's exactly what a numbers station is.
Where the article loses me is the implication that this is somehow sinister or beyond the pale: it's just piggybacking on a global transmitter network that exists anyway, why not?
eagerpace 26 minutes ago [-]
GPS was always a dual use system. This is very detailed and specific, but not interesting or surprising. Research has been study GPS signal data, found parts that are encrypted and he doesn’t understand. The end. Article seems only intended to generate an emotional response of “how dare they use GPS for war, man!”
sgjohnson 23 minutes ago [-]
> GPS was always a dual use system
It wasn't. It was going to be a military-only system, until KAL007 presented the obvious life-saving civilian case.
But yes, the title of this article might as well read "Satellite system developed for military use is being used for a military purpose."
eagerpace 20 minutes ago [-]
Even better, thanks for clarifying. It’s that kind of omission from the article that makes the rest of it hard to swallow. Even if it is technically correct. Which is sadly the case for most “journalism” these days.
golem14 3 minutes ago [-]
It’s not surprising, but I find it interesting.
jp42 8 minutes ago [-]
Meanwhile Starlink and Starshield: Hold my beer ;-)
7777777phil 39 minutes ago [-]
Slightly related the latest Veritasium Video: Something is jamming GPS over Europe.
The part they kept out of the headline:
> for use in distributing the keys for accessing the military GPS signals
It’s common knowledge that the military has access to a separate, encrypted, higher-precision GPS signal. “Numbers station” implies that they’re distributing unrelated encrypted information, but they’re not; it’s not surprising that GPS signals would be used to deliver information related to GPS, even if only military receivers have any use for it!
Here, it appears to be a rekeying system for specialized military gear.
Where the article loses me is the implication that this is somehow sinister or beyond the pale: it's just piggybacking on a global transmitter network that exists anyway, why not?
It wasn't. It was going to be a military-only system, until KAL007 presented the obvious life-saving civilian case.
But yes, the title of this article might as well read "Satellite system developed for military use is being used for a military purpose."
https://youtu.be/tz23G_UXCGA