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Starlink and other low-Earth orbit constellations face new security risks

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 really threw Ukrainian communications into a tailspin: Shortly before the invasion, Russian hackers disabled Viasat satellite ground receivers across Europe. Then entrepreneur Elon Musk stepped in and offered access to Starlink, SpaceX's growing network of low-Earth orbit (LEO) communications satellites. Musk soon reported that Starlink was suffering from cell phone jamming attacks and software countermeasures.

What happens when you take steps to ensure a little privacy by blocking your company vehicle’s GPS tracker to hide your location from your boss? A New Jersey man discovered after his gps jamming disrupted "pre-deployment testing of the Ground Augmentation System (GBAS) at Newark Liberty International Airport" was fired from engineering firm Tilcon and fined nearly $32,000 by the FCC Dollar.

"The U.S. military has invested a lot of work over the past decade to improve the security of GPS," said James Lewis, a technology expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

Lewis said Russia has deployed "powerful" jammers in Syria since 2015, disrupting much of the electromagnetic spectrum. These phone jammer are powerful enough to disrupt aircraft landing in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Signal jamming is an attempt to interfere with and stop wireless communications. The culprit transmits noise on a specific radio frequency. Then, no one in the affected area can use services that rely on that frequency.

Confusingly, cellphone jammers do not prevent devices from getting good reception. However, they prevent the target from initiating or receiving calls or messages. Signal interference can also affect Internet services, leaving people without access to the Internet.

While federal law prohibits the use of radar signal jammers throughout the United States, laser jammers are legal in most states, but the following states have explicitly banned their use: California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C.

Penalties vary by state. In Texas, for example, the maximum fine is $500, while in Utah violators can face up to 90 days in prison and a $750 fine.