New data from Marlink reports a 50% surge in satellite jamming and spoofing incidents affecting global shipping in March 2026, linking the spike to rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in regions such as the Middle East, where interference has become a persistent threat along major maritime routes. The disruptions target critical GNSS services including GPS, Galileo and GLONASS, enabling attackers to either block signals entirely or manipulate positioning data, with the potential to compromise vessel navigation, safety systems and satellite connectivity.
As interference increasingly ‘blinds’ onboard digital infrastructure and disrupts communications, the company warns that maritime operators face growing operational and safety risks, prompting the deployment of interference-resistant technologies and real-time monitoring to maintain continuity across affected fleets.
Collectively known as GNSS services, including GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou, underpin core vessel operations. These signals support delivering navigation and satellite acquisition across maritime antenna types, including those used in distress alerting systems. Low signal strength makes maritime satcom inherently vulnerable to local interference through jamming and spoofing, with the potential to disrupt safe and effective operations due to impacting service quality and availability.
“Maritime operators are facing an unprecedented level of GNSS interference in certain regions today,” Tore Morten Olsen, president of maritime at Marlink, said in a Wednesday media statement. “When positioning is compromised, it can quickly impact both connectivity and safety systems onboard. Our role is to support customers with the insight, guidance and resilient solutions they need to maintain safe and efficient operations in these environments.”
Recent observations show that interference events are no longer isolated. Instead, they are becoming a persistent feature along key maritime routes, requiring operators to adopt a more resilient and informed approach to navigation and connectivity. Marlink is actively monitoring these developments through its global network operations and supporting customers with operational guidance and technical solutions.
Practical steps for vessels operating in affected regions already communicated to their customer base include restarting antenna control systems if incorrect GNSS data is detected, and verifying vessel position against onboard systems and updating manually where required. It also covers checking GNSS data integrity after exiting interference zones, and power cycling affected terminals where necessary to restore service.
Alongside operational guidance, Marlink is deploying resilience measures that strengthen the integrity of PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) used by satellite communications systems. These include the use of interference-resistant GNSS reception, filtering and suppression of disruptive signals, and the ability to identify abnormal signal behaviour in real time.
By combining improved signal reception with onboard mitigation techniques and continuous monitoring, these capabilities help maintain stable antenna pointing, accurate positioning and service continuity, even when GNSS signals are degraded or manipulated.
In January, Marlink Cyber identified and responsibly disclosed a vulnerability in ISC BIND, a widely used Domain Name System service that provides name resolution for Internet and local network environments. The issue is a DoS (denial-of-service) vulnerability that can cause the ISC BIND service to crash. The disclosure reflects a coordinated research effort aimed at strengthening critical infrastructure security.
