Critical infrastructureGuidance Will Improve Critical Infrastructure Resilience
It is easy to understand the importance of our “critical infrastructure,” such as telecommunications, energy, transportation, and emergency services, but what’s often overlooked are the underlying technologies that enable them. DHS S&T is doing something about it.
It is easy to understand the importance of our “critical infrastructure,” such as telecommunications, energy, transportation, and emergency services, but what’s often overlooked are the underlying technologies that enable them. One such technology is Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services, a national critical function powering many of the critical infrastructure sectors that enable modern society.
PNT is primarily provided through the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). PNT is not just used for navigation, though. It also provides precision timing information that enables critical functions within telecommunication networks and the power grid. However, these PNT services are susceptible to interference such as GPS jamming and spoofing, which pose a risk to critical infrastructure. What was once an emerging risk is quickly becoming a pressing issue, with industry reporting a growing trend in the past two years of prominent PNT disruption events around the world. As the technological barriers to conducting these activities continue to fall, it becomes even more important to ensure our critical infrastructure is resilient to PNT disruptions.
New document provides roadmap to threat mitigation
One of the key activities for addressing this at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is the Resilient PNT Conformance Framework, which is planned for public release by the end of the year. The conformance framework was developed with input from industry stakeholders and is focused on outcome-based behaviors of resilience to encourage industry innovation and creativity in technical solutions. Industry has made significant progress in improving PNT equipment, with some manufacturers citing the DHS Best Practices for GPS (PDF, 21 pgs., 512 KB). The conformance framework is the next step forward and provides a common reference point defining what to expect from resilient PNT equipment. This will help critical infrastructure owners and operators make risk-informed decisions when deciding what PNT equipment to deploy. It provides distinct levels of resilience so end users can choose equipment that’s appropriate for their needs, based on criticality and risk tolerance.
The conformance framework also will be able to complement federal activities required under Executive Order 13905, “Strengthening National Resilience through Responsible Use of PNT Services,” which was signed in February 2020.
