30th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Cybersecurity and Cyber Defense
Dr. Diana Furchtgott-Roth warned that modern economies are dangerously over-reliant on GPS and its Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services, which underpin transportation, banking, telecommunications, energy grids, aviation, and everyday navigation. She explained that GPS depends on a 32-satellite constellation vulnerable to jamming, spoofing, space weather, and hostile action—risks already demonstrated in incidents involving Russia, Ukraine, airports, and military operations.
Dr. Furchtgott-Roth noted that adversaries such as Russia, China, and North Korea have developed advanced capabilities to disrupt GPS, while societies have grown more exposed due to declining traditional navigation skills. Drawing on her experience at the U.S. Department of
Transportation, she highlighted that affordable backup PNT technologies already exist, including advanced geospatial mapping systems and atomic-clock-based timing, but lack policy support.
She urged governments to treat GPS resilience as a national security priority, calling for transparency requirements that compel critical sectors to disclose and adopt certified GPS backup systems. Dr. Furchtgott-Roth concluded that without proactive action, hostile powers could exploit GPS vulnerabilities to destabilize nations, warning that societies risk being “lost in space” if GPS fails.
