President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that would direct the federal government to help strengthen the resilience of the country’s critical infrastructure by promoting the responsible use of positioning, navigation and timing services.
The executive order directs the secretary of the Department of Commerce to work with sector-specific agencies and the private sector to develop PNT profiles to help private and public sectors identify networks and assets that rely on PNT services, detect possible disruption of such services and manage associated risks.
Under the policy, the Department of Homeland Security should come up with a plan within the year to assess the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure networks and related assets in the event of a PNT service disruption or manipulation.
The order also directs federal agencies to develop contractual language to facilitate the inclusion of relevant PNT profile data in federal contract requirements for products and services that use PNT services within three months of the profiles’ release.
The policy also calls for DHS and the departments of Energy and Transportation to devise plans within 180 days on how to involve critical infrastructure operators in assessing the responsible use of PNT services. Such plans should lead to pilot programs to help inform the development of PNT profiles and identify new research and development opportunities.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy will lead efforts to develop within the year a national plan for advancing research and development of secure PNT services that do not rely on global navigation satellite systems.
