The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) published the Resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Conformance Framework today. PNT services, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), is a national critical function that enables many applications within the critical infrastructure sectors. This framework will inform the design and adoption of resilient PNT systems and help critical infrastructure become more resilient to PNT disruptions, such as GPS jamming and spoofing.

“This is an important milestone in the department’s strategy for building PNT resilience in our nation’s critical infrastructure,” said Willian Bryan, DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology. “Combined with our collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on PNT risk profiles, the Conformance Framework will be a valuable risk management tool.”

The Resilient PNT Conformance Framework was developed with input from industry and is focused on outcome-based behaviors to encourage industry innovation and creativity in technical solutions. The Framework provides a common reference point by defining expected behaviors across four levels of resilience. These levels offer flexibility in meeting different user needs and will help critical infrastructure owners and operators make risk-informed decisions when deciding what PNT equipment to deploy.

“Industry has made significant progress in improving PNT equipment, with some manufacturers citing the DHS Best Practices for GPS (PDF, 21 pgs., 393KB),” said Ernest Wong, S&T technical manager. “The Conformance Framework is the next step in helping build resilience into PNT systems within critical infrastructure.”

The Conformance Framework also complements other federal activities required under Executive Order 13905, “Strengthening National Resilience through Responsible Use of PNT Services” signed in February 2020.

For more background on the framework, please see the November 2020 Feature Article.