Faking of GPS data a growing and potentially lethal danger, expert warns

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Faking of GPS data a growing and potentially lethal danger, expert warns

Dinesh Manandhar, a project associate professor at the University of Tokyo, speaks about the danger of GPS spoofing — the falsification of location data — at the university's Komaba campus in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, on Oct. 5. | SHUSUKE MURAI

By Shusuke Murai
Staff Writer

Nov 27, 2016

With a plethora of location-based services hitting the market, GPS appears to be an essential feature in today’s digitally driven world.

But Global Positioning System data can be used to create serious problems — even life-threatening ones — if control falls into the wrong hands, an expert warns.

“From car navigation systems to ‘Pokemon Go’ ... too many things today use GPS as a reliable source of location information,” Dinesh Manandhar, a project associate professor at the University of Tokyo, said in a recent interview. “People trust the location information from GPS satellites like God.”