Military Communications and Information Technology: A Trusted ...

Chapter 4: Information Assurance & Cyber Defence
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✓ increasing the broadcast power by VSAT terminal over fixed level, causing
distortion of the transponder receiving circuits,
✓ VSAT antenna azimuth change, resulting in disrupted work of a satellite
neighbouring to other satellite, with which communication is established.
III. Proposed methodology for detecting unauthorized satellite
transmissions
Detection of unauthorized transmission using VSAT terminals, especially
in the case of deliberate acts, require secrecy, and so to carry out an imperceptible
procedure of monitoring and in general it is a multistage operation.
The first step will be an identification and selection of active transmitters
among observed VSAT transmitting terminals and transceivers. Initial selection
of broadcasting VSAT terminals will be conducted by an experienced observer,
based on remote viewing. This observation will be assisted with photography and
thermography data analysis procedures. As a result of the identification there will
be determined not only the antenna that has transmission capabilities, but also
the antenna, which is currently active. The next step will be to obtain information
leading to the detection of the satellite, to which it was connected, in order to
identify potential recipients. Determination of the satellite, which was connected
to the terminal, will be possible by determining the geographic location and azimuth
of the terminal. The proposed method of azimuth determination is to analyze
the VSAT terminal images taken from different directions, with knowledge
of the position and orientation of the imaging system, as well as to determine its
distance from the observer using for example range-finder.
In the next stage there will be an important task: to determine the approximate
geometry of the antenna, in particular the shape and profile of the antenna system
mirror and the position of the radiator brackets, which will allow to determine
the approximate characteristics of the radiation. The determination of this characteristic
will enable to determine the optimum listening point, and thus determine
the optimal location of the observer, which may be Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or
a man with a measuring equipment, and the directions of the wave emitted by
VSAT terminal. A crucial element of this stage is to apply the methods of increasing
the energy of compromising radiation by unstable modification of radiator
set, e.g. by a local change of temperature using the laser beam, in order to enhance
its detection.
The last stage of detecting unauthorized satellite transmissions will be radiation
detection and listening conduction.