Automatic Identification System: Security Challenges, Mitigation Strategies and Future Trends
Isadora Garcia Ferrão, David Espès · 2025
This article critically reviews the vulnerabilities and security challenges of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and discusses mitigation strategies and future trends to increase its resilience. Based on a systematic review of the literature, the main weaknesses of AIS have been identified, such as the lack of authentication and verification mechanisms, vulnerability to spoofing attacks, data manipulation, and the limitations resulting from the dependency on GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals. Mitigation measures are examined that involve hardware solutions (multi-frequency GNSS receivers, modern antennas, inertial systems), communication protocols (encryption and authentication), and emerging validation techniques, including approaches based on Machine Learning (ML) and collaborative networks. Finally, the importance of international standardization and the integration between technical and operational measures is discussed to ensure the security and reliability of AIS in the maritime environment.