The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) is hosting a series of test opportunities for manufacturers of Global Positioning System (“GPS”) receivers and components used in critical infrastructure to test their equipment against potential disruptions.  The first event, to be held from April 17-21 in Butlerville, Indiana, is intended to give manufacturers the opportunity to perform testing in a rarely available “live-sky” spoofing environment.  DHS will accept applications to participate until this Friday, March 3. 

The goal of the April event (officially called the 2017 GPS Equipment Testing for Critical Infrastructure event) is to harden technology against GPS spoofing by allowing manufacturers to test equipment in signal environments that may be legally created only under controlled conditions authorized by the government.  DHS also intends to gather data to inform manufacturing practices and foster adoption of mitigation techniques.  

GPS spoofing technology is becoming increasingly widespread as it decreases in cost.  Last year, when two Navy patrol boats wandered off course and were captured in Iranian waters, there was speculation that Iran had sent false GPS signals to lure the sailors onto another course.  More recently, the popular mobile game Pokemon GO has been plagued by GPS spoofing.

Last month, DHS issued a set of best practices entitled “Improving the Operation and Development of Global Positioning System (GPS) Equipment Used by Critical Infrastructure.”  DHS has acknowledged that “[a]ccurate and precise position, navigation, and timing (PNT) information is vital to the nation’s critical infrastructure.”  According to Sara Mahmood, a DHS program manager, DHS is likely to hold these testing events on a regular basis and currently considers itself “ahead of the problem.”