THE VULNERABILITY OF THE GPS NETWORK

It was one of those lazy, crazy days in Israel when a director of the network of GPS was overwhelmed with “error” e-mails back in 2016. The network had closed down by a small error. GPS is great, but the network is really vulnerable. The acronym means global position system. It means that most of us are all hooked together by a gadget in watches, phones, cars, and computers or related. The modern economy collapses if something goes wrong. So if the system is “off” by much less than a second (millisecond) most of the western world stops.

It is vulnerable to hacking…very vulnerable. So, we don’t have a plan B. We can get protection, but it is not with us as this is being written. It has gone through numerous administrations including Trump.  It would appear that we are begging to shut down. Now get this, in a very reputable BLOOMBERG/BUSINESS WEEK

(July 30, 2018:50) Nothing is about this on the front cover or inside. The article by Paul Tullis “Screwed in a Millisecond” is hidden in the back with “financial astrology” and old military weapons in Russia that have rusted to death.

Now this has been discussed by many and known by few. It is like the tragedy of the commons. It is out there, but somebody else should be doing something about it.

So now you know. There is a network that is very weak and is very vulnerable that hooks all of us together or most of us. We need to protect this little genius called GPS. If this gets printed and online, send this in an attachment to an e-mail of one of our Representatives or Senators. We may still have time.

Joel C. Snell

Prof. Retired

3105 Alleghany Dr.NE

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

52402

joelsnell@hotmail.com

319-366-0063