SIGNALSTATE

Idea

Critical infrastructure increasingly depends on satellite-based positioning and timing. When GNSS signals become unreliable because of spoofing, interference or other anomalies, operators need more than an alert: they need to determine whether a specific operation can continue normally, must switch to a degraded mode, or requires human intervention.

SIGNALSTATE turns satellite observations and operational context into a governed operational Decision State. Instead of producing only an anomaly score, it combines signal trust, infrastructure context, operational constraints, available fallback evidence and unresolved uncertainty. The result makes explicit which conditions are satisfied, which remain open, and which operating modes are currently supportable.

During the hackathon we will build a fresh prototype around a simulated GNSS disruption affecting critical infrastructure. Users will be able to inspect the evidence behind the state, see why normal operation is blocked, and explore how a restricted operating mode changes the required conditions. SIGNALSTATE does not autonomously make the operational decision; it provides a structured and traceable basis for responsible human action.

EU space technologies

SIGNALSTATE will use Galileo positioning/navigation signals and authentication information as the primary source for assessing GNSS trust. In particular, Galileo OSNMA can provide authentication of navigation messages, helping users verify that navigation information originates from Galileo and has not been modified. We will combine this with GNSS consistency and anomaly observations to model a degraded or suspicious navigation state.

Copernicus Earth-observation and geospatial information will provide contextual information about the affected area and nearby critical infrastructure. This allows SIGNALSTATE to move from “a GNSS anomaly exists” to the more operationally relevant question: “What does this anomaly mean for this asset, in this location, under these operating conditions?”

The value of combining both is that Galileo contributes signal-level trust information, while Copernicus contributes geospatial context. SIGNALSTATE binds both into the evidence basis of an operational Decision State.

Challenge 1 — Cybersecurity for space-based strategic enablers.

SIGNALSTATE addresses the challenge of maintaining resilient operations when satellite-based positioning or timing becomes unreliable or potentially manipulated. It combines Galileo signal-trust information with Copernicus geospatial context to identify the operational significance of a GNSS anomaly for critical infrastructure.

Rather than stopping at anomaly detection, the project translates the available evidence into an operational Decision State: normal operation, degraded operation, or unresolved state requiring human review. This supports the continuity and cyber-resilience of critical services while keeping operational authority with responsible human operators.

Team

Current project initiator: Jan Zidek — Founder / Business & Decision-State Architecture. I am the founder of Epistemis, where I work on decision-state infrastructure for high-consequence enterprise decisions, bringing experience in governance architecture, product strategy and the design of traceable decision processes.

For CASSINI, I am forming a new multidisciplinary SIGNALSTATE team and am looking to add a GNSS/space-data or cybersecurity engineer and a software/data engineer, ideally complemented by a UX/frontend profile. All competition code will be developed fresh during the hackathon.