Maritime glossary
AIS Spoofing
The transmission of false AIS data to disguise a vessel’s true position, identity, or movements.
Definition
AIS spoofing is the deliberate broadcast of false AIS information, faking a position, identity, or track to mislead anyone watching. Techniques range from manually entering a wrong position to sophisticated identity laundering, where a ship transmits another vessel’s IMO or MMSI. Spoofing is a hallmark of sanctions evasion and illicit trade, used to make a ship appear to be somewhere, or someone, it is not. Cross-checking AIS against satellite imagery and physics is how spoofed tracks get caught.
How Vessel Hunter uses AIS Spoofing
Implausible jumps and identity clashes in the AIS feed are signals Vessel Hunter surfaces rather than smooths over, so a spoofed track does not pass as real.
Related terms
- AISAutomatic Identification System
The VHF radio system every commercial vessel uses to broadcast its position, course, and identity.
- AIS GapGoing Dark
A period when a vessel stops transmitting AIS, sometimes innocent, sometimes a sign of evasion.
- Sanctioned Vessel
A ship designated under a sanctions regime, or trading in breach of one, which is barred from much of the market.
- MMSIMaritime Mobile Service Identity
The nine-digit identifier broadcast by a vessel’s AIS and used to route VHF radio calls.
The bigger picture
AIS Spoofing is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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