Homeland Security program to work on correcting the vulnerabilities with GPS

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently launched a multiyear program dedicated to finding solutions to global positioning systems’ (GPS) vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.

The program will conduct vulnerability and impact assessments, explore complementary timing technologies, engage with industry through outreach meetings and events, and develop mitigations.

S&T already is working to develop cost-effective mitigation technologies for GPS interference.

Mitigation technologies include the Total Horizon Nuller antenna, which was developed with the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute. The device is an “anti-jam” antenna for fixed infrastructure applications that mitigates ground-based sources of GPS interference.

“Some critical infrastructure operators have thousands of GPS antennas and receivers in their network,” Sarah Mahmood, DHS S&T program manager, said. “Widely deploying a $10,000 antenna is impractical. This is especially true for the wireless communications sector, which deploys cell sites everywhere. But a low-cost antenna could be deployed at sites within the networks that need it.”

S&T hosts the annual GPS Equipment Testing for Critical Infrastructure event. It gives stakeholders, such as critical infrastructure owners and operators and GPS equipment manufacturers, an opportunity to test and evaluate equipment. The event also provides S&T with the opportunity to create working relationships within the industry.