1. Paul Skoog Sr. Product Manager
GPS & Cybersecurity
Paul Skoog
Sr. Product Manager

2. About Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC)
Global provider of synchronization and semiconductor solutions
Focused on applications for delivering accuracy, reliability, security and performance
Leading supplier of timing infrastructure
93% of UTC world time “contributions”*
60%+ worldwide market share in synchronization for commercial communications
Tens of thousands of NTP Network Time Servers sold
Corporate headquarters in Aliso Viejo, CA
*Weighted contributions at BIPM: Microsemi Cesiums 87%, MASERs 6%

3. Critical Infrastructure
The Three GPS Segments Vital to Multiple Types of User Segment Infrastructures
Space Segment
Control Segment
Ground Antennas
Monitor Stations
Master Control Station
Positioning
Navigation
Timing
Communications
Energy
Mapping & Surveying
Computer Network Operations
Financial Systems
Radar Systems
Telecom Systems
SatCom Systems
And more…
Master ground control – aerial view of Schriever AFB is in the public domain
Source: 50th Space Wing Public Affairs Office
User Segment
Critical Infrastructure

4. Data Security Standard
The Role of Timing in Cybersecurity Accurate & Reliable UTC Time Stamps Are Essential!
Log File Time Stamp Accuracy
Security information and event management (SIEM)
Centralized storage/interpretation of logs for near real- time analysis enabling quick defensive actions
Event monitoring systems
Dependent on log file time stamps being correct and consistent; UTC is underlying time scale
Clock skew between computers causes log file correlation issues
Client/Server Time Synchronization
Kerberos Client/Server Authentication
Precise clock alignment allows for limited authentication ticket validity
Protects against replay attacks
Payment Card Industry
Data Security Standard
Requires… “Time synchronization technology…to compare log files from different systems [to] establish an exact sequence of event (crucial for forensic analysis in the event of a breach)”
PCI-DSS Version 3.2 April 2016

5. GPS Referenced NTP Network Time Servers
GPS – Networking Connection An Accurate & Reliable Worldwide Source of UTC Time
GPS
Provides accurate/reliable time
Relatively ubiquitous source of UTC
Subject to jamming and spoofing*
GPS Referenced NTP Network Time Servers
Network Infrastructure
Requires accurate/reliable time
Uses UTC
Uses a common protocol, NTP, to synchronize to UTC
Subject to cyber attacks**
*GPS jamming (intentional and unintentional) is one of the top three “issues” concerning GPS in – GPS World, September 2016
**NTP is considered one of the most vulnerable network services and has one of the fastest growth trends as a DDoS target.
- Akamai Technologies, June 2016

6. New Protection Technologies Available Meeting Accuracy, Reliability & Security Imperatives
Microsemi SyncServer S600
Microsemi SyncServer S650

7. GPS Jamming Effect On Time Servers Analogous to Unplugging the GPS Antenna
Without GPS this is a fly wheeling/free running oscillator, aka “clock”
GPS Jammer
GPS Receiver
Phase Comparator
UTC
Time-of-Day
to network infrastructure
1PPS
Time of Day +
1PPS
Time Server
Difference
Timing Processor
Frequency
Adjustment
Oscillator
GPS jamming unlocks internal GPS signal/satellite tracking (just like an antenna disconnect)
If GPS is unlocked, timing system does not use the GPS timing signals
Timing subsystem goes into “holdover” or “fly wheeling” on the installed oscillator
Network administrator notified via SNMP trap

8. S600/650 Clock Technology Extremely High Accuracy, Holdover Are Crucial
Hardware clock accuracy
<15 nanoseconds RMS to UTC(USNO) while tracking GPS
24 hour holdover accuracy
Precise &
Accurate
Standard
400 microseconds
OCXO
25 microseconds (16x better than standard)
Rubidium
<1 microsecond (<3 us at 3 days)
Extremely high accuracy & excellent holdover

9. Use “Free” Internet Time Servers at your own risk
Network Attacks on NTP Time Servers Synchronizing to “Free Time” Is a Risky Practice
Typical Types of Attacks
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
NTP Amplification using Spoofed Addresses
Security
Publically accessible NTP Servers are popular DDoS targets (1)
“No. 1 attack method launched against cyber researchers and corporate infrastructure was network time protocol (NTP)”(1)
Subject to MITM attacks
Used for NTP amplification attacks
Port 123 must be open in firewall
Reliability – access to the time
Pool.ntp.org “is being used by millions or tens of millions of systems around the world.” (2)
“Because of the large number of users [they] are in need of more servers.” (2)
No monitoring/alerting of the public time server system health
Accuracy
Documented cases of the wrong time deliberately being served
Use “Free” Internet Time Servers at your own risk
CAUTION
May 6, 2016
pool.ntp.org

10. NTP Time Server Security Precautions Tighten Standard Precautions with the NTP ReflectorTM 
Access Control Lists
NTP Client/Server Authentication
MD5, Autokey
Management Security & Authentication
SSH, HTTPS
TACACS+, RADIUS, LDAP
Security-Hardened NTP Reflector

11. Time-Stamped NTP Packets
Security-Hardened NTP Reflector Technology Hardware-Based Ultra Accurate, High Capacity NTP Operations N e
t wo r k
SyncServer S600/S650
100% hardware-based NTP
Inbound NTP Packets 
FPGA
NTP Reflector
CPU
Time-Stamped NTP Packets
Non-NTP Traffic
Eliminates amplified NTP packet attacks
Protects CPU from DoS attacks
All packets to CPU are bandwidth limited (user set)
Notify user of NTP and general network packet load changes 
“Bit Bucket”

12. Why You Need a Security-Hardened NTP Reflector Resistant to Nearly All Kinds of Network Attacks
NTP reflector ports are high performance, high accuracy & ultra secure.
Security
Performance
DDoS NTP attacks cannot bring the ports or time server down
Not susceptible to reflection amplification attacks as only small, standard NTP packets are served
Cannot be disrupted by malformed NTP packets as they will be dropped
Soft packets passed through are bandwidth limited and restricted only to packets necessary to configure the port on the network (i.e. ARP, ping, etc.)
Timestamp accuracy 15 ns RMS to UTC, load independent
Port by port packet limiting
Denial of service detection and alarming
Can accommodate >120,000 NTP requests per second
NTP packet processing load does not impact other server operations

13. GPS Timing & Cybersecurity Are Linked Secure, Reliable Time Is Essential for Cybersecurity
UTC Time Reference
Cybersecurity
UTC Time Consumer
Microsemi SyncServer S600/S650 GPS-Referenced NTP Time Server
Critical cybersecurity systems rely on log files with precise and accurate time stamps to operate effectively.
Microsemi merges the best of timing and networking technology in a single chassis to meet the needs of cybersecurity systems…
Extremely accurate with excellent GPS jamming protection using atomic clocks
Security-hardened SyncServer S600/S650 NTP reflector protects against the most prevalent cybersecurity attacks

14. Questions? Paul Skoog paul.skoog@microsemi.com