Homeland Security Will No Longer Assess GPS Risks
By
Bob Brewin
More unintended consequences of sequestration and tight budgets.
File this one under the unintended consequences of sequester and tight budgets: The Homeland Security Department will no longer assess the risks that GPS disruptions pose to multiple critical infrastructure systems, due to lack of funds, the Government Accountability Office reports.
DHS released a classified National Risk Assessment of GPS in November 2012 and an updated July version that said “detecting, locating and disabling sources of GPS disruption remain a challenge.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and mariners use GPS for navigation, the communications industry relies on it for timing, and DHS is supposed to continuously assess threats to GPS, including jamming and spoofing, as mandated by presidential directive.
But, GAO said, DHS officials reported “that they have no plans to conduct another NRE on GPS because of resource constraints.”
Oh well, we can always use a backup GPS system. Wait – there is no national back up system, a fact GAO also noted in its report.