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Security researcher: Globalstar GPS at risk of hackers

As is the case with seemingly anything that connects to the internet these days, a security researcher has found that GPS devices which connect to the Globalstar satellite network are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle hacking. According to Synack Inc researcher Colby Moore, who is presenting his findings next week at BlackHat, transmissions within this system are not encrypted. This means they can be intercepted and altered between the sender and recipient -- not good when you're trying to find survivors after a natural disaster. What's more, Moore states that the flaw is a fault in the system's architecture and one that is nearly impossible to patch.

Millions of devices already run on the Globalstar system. It's employed by private citizens and major corporations alike. And, according to Moore, likely already has a few intelligence agencies listening in to boot. There's no word on whether other private GPS satellite systems, such as Iridium or Inmarsat, are equally vulnerable.

[Image Credit: Shutterstock / Pincasso]