Fascinating Tales of PNT Systems and Resilience

How Jamming and Spoofing Threaten Operational Resilience

Over the last decade, there has been an increased focus on operational resilience within the financial sector. During this journey, I have been fortunate to be involved in its evolution as both financial institutions and authorities worked through the challenges and nuances necessary to guide the industry in what would be required to achieve an enhanced resilience posture. My passion for resilience has led me to examine how other sectors are improving their resilience.

This has unlocked several stories which I have found fascinating enough to share. The financial sector, while extremely important, is not the only sector facing resilience challenges, and this was most recently demonstrated during the recent Middle East conflict.

In June 2025, Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day war, exposing a resilience challenge that has largely gone under the radar. This conflict shed light on weaknesses in the position, navigation and timing (PNT) systems. For numerous vessels navigating the Black Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, these weaknesses caused numerous vessels to appear miles from their real location and, in some cases, showed the vessel was traveling on land.

Think of PNT systems as the air traffic control system of the seas. These systems not only allow companies to track where any ship is at a given moment but also allows ships to avoid underwater hazards and understand their proximity to other vessels in the area. This is especially critical for the numerous oil tankers that traverse these waters and for crowded waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz. Unlike a kayak in Lake Washington, vessels of this size can take up to 10 miles to stop, and the cargo of these ships is valued in the millions. One can only imagine the level of panic a navigation officer would have if suddenly the ship appeared to be navigating across land or the panic at the organization’s navigation control unit if a ship disappeared from the radar screen. Fortunately, a ship’s crew can also track their own position using radar systems. However, this method doesn’t alert to underwater dangers and does not allow the ship’s crew to understand where other ships in the area are located. While radar does provide some resilience (and comfort) of the ship’s location, it still takes away from a critical part of the ship’s safe passage.

How does PNT interference work?

There are two types of PNT interference methods. Jamming and spoofing. For cyber professionals, this can best be equated to denial of service (DoS) and man-in-the-middle (MITM)

attacks, respectively. Jamming involves flooding the PNT system with noise to the point where the true signal is overwhelmed. Spoofing involves sending signals that mimic the true signal to provide false information. Jamming and Spoofing attacks are rising, especially in conflict areas and the impacts they can have on global trade are significant.

Every facet of our daily lives is supported by PNT systems. Supply chains use GPS to provide real-time tracking of cargo which increases efficiency. Agriculture and mining rely on PNT systems for automated harvesting and transport. Electronic fund transfers, financial asset trading, and ATM operations also rely on PNT systems for reliable timekeeping. The underpinning of many comforts we take for granted relies on these systems to operate, and the interference of these systems can create an immediate systemic impact on our daily lives.

How many ships experienced failures during this 12-day period? Thousands. In fact, 900-1,600 ships per day suffered these PNT outages. Thankfully, due to the resilience of the vessels to navigate these short-term impacts, there were no incidents traced to these outages. However, these incidents unveiled the possible outcomes of a prolonged outage or how a more targeted attack could ultimately impact the foundation of the services we take for granted. For major waterway venues, imagine if changes to the PNT system are slight enough to not warrant detection. How would the changes be identified? Implementing a more secure way of using the existing timing and positioning system is necessary to protect from these systemic events.

What is being done to address this issue?

Currently, there are several projects underway to develop AI systems to combat the effects of jamming and spoofing, including machine learning systems that quickly identify these threats. Other systems providing accurate position information without the need for current PNT systems are also being developed. These include systems such as quantum sensors and geomagnetic data that read the Earth’s magnetic field and multi-sensor fusion and inertial navigation, which use AI systems to maintain accurate navigation and timing if GPS is unreliable or unavailable. Until these solutions become available more widely, a tender balance remains between the consistent and reliable use of these systems, the innovation and investment in reliable and complete backup systems, and the next systemic event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Harrell

Jason Harrell is the owner of JAH Secure Solutions, LLC, which provides advisory and consultancy services for cyber and operational resilience, third-party risk management, and emerging technology. As a distinguished executive in cyber and operational resilience, Harrell has partnered with global financial authorities, standards bodies, government agencies and trade associations to develop policy solutions to these challenges within the financial sector. Harrell is widely recognized for his expertise in developing and executing cyber and resilience strategies across the financial services sector including ABN AMRO, BNY, DTCC, and RBS. As a thought leader in cyber and resilience, Harrell authors position papers, articles, comment letters and other collateral used to advance public policy in these risk areas. Harrell has held positions on several industry association boards and committees including CRI, FSSCC, and Sheltered Harbor and is currently on the board for Pencil, NYC, a non-profit dedicated to preparing students for college and the workforce. Beyond his corporate roles, Harrell is known for his commitment to talent development and mentorship and promoting fairness, opportunity, and diversity within the workplace.