Demonstrating the Broadcast of Authenticated AIS Messages Using VDES While Retaining Backwards Compatibility

The spoofing of Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages presents a hazard to safe maritime navigation. To prevent such spoofing, we present an authentication system based on Public Key Cryptography (PKC) that is both fully open source and backwards compatible with mariners’ existing use of the AIS. Using this, we have successfully demonstrated the ‘live’, over-the-air broadcast of authenticated AIS messages in a busy radio environment. The technique used is an improvement upon earlier work in that digital signatures are carried using the terrestrial VHF Data Exchange (VDE-TER) component of the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES). This prevents additional channel loading on the AIS and offers greater flexibility.