Trump Orders Test GPS Outages
US President Donald Trump has given an executive order directing US agencies to test the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure systems in the event of a disruption or manipulation of satellite-based global positioning system services (GPS).
GPS is key to the functioning of electrical power grids, weather forecasting, traffic signals, smartphone applications, financial services and vehicle navigation, among a host of other systems.
The order, directing federal agencies to develop a plan to test the systems within a year, said “disruption or manipulation of these services has the potential to adversely affect the national and economic security of the United States.”
The US Transportation Department plans to recommend a backup GPS system by the end of the year.