Detection of GPS spoofing using wireless network visibility to mobile devices

A system comprising:

• a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, the processor configured to:
• receive, from each mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices, location data of the mobile device;
• receive, from each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, a list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the mobile device;
• select, from the plurality of mobile devices, a test group of mobile devices, the test group of mobile devices comprising a group of at least two mobile devices that are located within a predetermined proximity to a candidate mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices as indicated by the received location data;
• determine, based on a comparison of the list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the candidate mobile device with the lists of the wireless communication networks detected by each mobile device of the test group of mobile devices, a degree of similarity of wireless communication network visibility, wherein determining the degree of similarity of wireless communication network visibility comprises:
• for each mobile device of the test group of mobile devices, determining a percentage of the wireless communication networks included in the list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the candidate mobile device that are included in the list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the mobile device of the test group of mobile devices;
• calculating a score based on the determined percentages;
• and
• responsive to the degree of similarity of wireless communication network visibility failing to exceed a predetermined threshold, determine that the candidate mobile device is spoofing its location.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith the program instructions executable by a computer processor to cause the computer processor to perform a method comprising:

• receiving, from each mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices, location data of the mobile device;
• receiving, from each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, a list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the mobile device;
• selecting, from the plurality of mobile devices, a test group of mobile devices, the test group of mobile devices comprising a group of at least two mobile devices that are located within a predetermined proximity to a candidate mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices as indicated by the received location data;
• determining, based on a comparison of the list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the candidate mobile device with the lists of the wireless communication networks detected by each mobile device of the test group of mobile devices, a degree of similarity of wireless communication network visibility, wherein determining the degree of similarity of wireless communication network visibility comprises:
• for each mobile device of the test group of mobile devices, determining a percentage of the wireless communication networks included in the list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the candidate mobile device that are included in the list of wireless communication networks indicated as being detected by the mobile device of the test group of mobile devices;
• calculating a score based on the determined percentages;
• and
• responsive to the degree of similarity of wireless communication network visibility failing to exceed a predetermined threshold, determining that the candidate mobile device is spoofing its location.