DHS S&T releases new tool to strengthen GNSS for critical infrastructure

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has released a new tool designed to help protect critical infrastructure that relies on GNSS: The GNSS Test Vector Suite and Distribution Methodology.

The GNSS Test Vector Suite and Distribution Methodology, now available on GitHub, is designed to help infrastructure operators assess and improve the resilience of their positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) systems. These systems are essential for sectors such as energy, transportation and telecommunications, and are vulnerable to disruptions from natural events, technical failures or cyber threats.

The tool suite provides standardized test scenarios and simulated data, allowing users to evaluate how their equipment responds to challenges such as signal interference or spoofing. By generating and converting simulated data into signals that mimic real-world GNSS systems, the tool enables independent testing of devices and systems for conformity to resilience standards.

“Accurate and precise Positioning, Navigation, and Timing information is vital to the nation’s critical infrastructure and is the backbone of the many services we depend on daily, from keeping our lights on to ensuring planes land safely,” said Julie Brewer, DHS acting under secretary for science and technology. “This new toolset gives people responsible for safeguarding these systems a way to independently test and strengthen them, ensuring our nation’s infrastructure is more secure against potential disruptions.”

The release of the GNSS Test Vector Suite supports Executive Order 13905, which seeks to protect essential PNT services across critical industries.

Additional information about the PNT Program is available on the DHS Science and Technology website.

The GNSS Test Vector Suite can be accessed through the PNT GitHub page.