SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Saturday marked 20 years since the deadliest ever terror attack on U.S. soil. But some technology experts are warning about a growing security threat that has left the nation vulnerable to catastrophe.
Thanks to GPS and cyberspace, the world is at our fingertips. 8 out of 10 Americans now own a smart phone, and the vast majority of the nation is interconnected.
READ MORE: South Bay Congressman Welcomes Afghan Refugees Arriving in Fremont
But experts tell KPIX 5 that this incredible technological success has left the U.S. and its citizens vulnerable.
One big reason is time. Thanks to GPS, highly precise time keeps the world ticking. In the United States, that includes the power grid, telecommunications, and financial transactions
“Everything’s dependent on GPS,” said Professor Marc Weiss.
GPS is the U.S. system of 31 satellites orbiting the earth. On each one, there are multiple atomic clocks. Those clocks provide precise time to the one billionth of a second or nanosecond.
These time systems that are linked to GPS keep vital infrastructure back on earth synchronized, and properly working. 5G depends on it.
“It is a fantastic system,” stated Weiss.
Weiss is an expert in precision time. He helped to build GPS and worked at the National Institute of Science and Technology or NIST.
But the mathematician and physicist has grown increasingly concerned about a major attack that could take out the U.S. utility.
“It would decimate us. This would make the pandemic look like child’s play,” ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
