The Harlow Report-GIS
2025 Edition
ISSN 0742-468XSince 1978
On-line Since 2000
GIS News Snippets
For the week of
December 1, 2025
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A “Harlow Report” Fromdecember 2, 2024 —GPS Spoofing and Its Dangers
by Joseph Kerski
A recent article entitled “Electronic Warfare Spooks Airlines, Pilots and Air-Safety Officials”in The Wall Street Journal says that “Daily flights around the world are running into GPS spoofing, a hazard that poses new risks for pilots and passengers.”
The article describes how commercial airlines are increasingly seeing alerts telling them to “pull up!” or do something else in flight, but upon further investigation, the alerts turn out to be false — they are from fake signals that militaries use to ward off drones and missiles, but are permeating growing numbers of commercial airlines communications and GPS signals. In one of the examples cited in the above article, a spoofing attack in the Black Sea south of Ukraine caused an aircraft's reported GPS coordinates to drift away from their real location for the rest of the flight. “Other navigation systems helped the aircraft safely fly the rest of its route. Its still-flawed GPS data showed the flight ending in the Atlantic Ocean.” The flight landed safely in Newark.
Read full story at Spatial Reserves…
Eagleview Launches an Early Access, Free Imagery API Trial to Power the Next Generation of Geospatial Applications
by EagleView
Developers already have free access to seamlessly integrate Eagleview's premium aerial imagery and geospatial data?into their own applications
Summary
Eagleview announced a major expansion of its developer ecosystem, introducing early access to a free, limited trial for its Imagery API. This gives developers unprecedented access to Eagleview's vast catalog of more than 3.5 billion oblique and orthogonal aerial images.
Developers can now define their own, unique 2 square mile area of interest, allowing product teams, GIS specialists, and developers to quickly move from concept to prototype. These powerful geospatial building blocks enhance analysis for industries such as roofing, insurance, urban planning, and real estate.
CEO Piers Dormeyer stated, “Our customers are using our library of images in ways that are, frankly, astounding. We wanted to make it easier than ever for our customers to get exactly what they want.” Developers can access premium data to visualize structures and properties in 3D.
Key features include direct access to high-resolution imagery, a developer portal, a self-serve sandbox, and a 30-day free trial offering.
Read full story at Eagleview…
Esri Introduces Latest ArcGIS Integrations for Microsoft Fabric
by Esri Inisder
Users Can Access a Powerful Combination of Spatial Analytics and Intelligent Mapping
Summary
These new tools integrate Esri's location intelligence directly into the Microsoft Fabric environment, enabling data professionals to perform advanced spatial analytics and create interactive maps without leaving OneLake or Power BI.
“This integration makes some of Esri's core capabilities accessible for data professionals directly from their Microsoft Fabric environment,” said Esri president Jack Dangermond, highlighting the deepened strategic collaboration with Microsoft.
Users gain seamless access to sophisticated geospatial functions running on Apache Spark, plus Esri's extensive library of authoritative demographic, lifestyle, and environmental data. Organizations like the UK's Met Office have already used the tools to unlock new insights from complex, high-velocity datasets. The integrations expand Esri's existing presence in Power BI and promise broader adoption of spatial intelligence across enterprises.
Read full story at Esri…
How X's New Location Feature Exposed Big US Politics Accounts
by Shayan Sardarizadeh, Thomas Copeland and Tom Edgington
Dozens of pro-Trump accounts are being accused of misleading followers after the social media site began showing user locations.
Summary
A new transparency feature on X has exposed high–engagement political accounts for misleading users about their location. While posing as US–based activists, data reveals many profiles — ranging from pro–Trump influencers to “proud Democrats” — are actually operating from countries like India, Nigeria, and Kenya.
Experts suggest these accounts are primarily motivated by monetization, as X pays for high engagement, or potentially state–backed influence operations. Critics argue the findings prove X's paid verification is merely a revenue generator rather than a security measure. Although the feature increases transparency, researchers warn that bad actors will likely adapt by using VPNs to mask their true locations.
Read full story at BBC…
Outage Prevention from Orbit: Why Utilities Are Turning to Satellites and Geospatial Analytics
by Sean Donegan
Utilities and local energy distribution companies (LDCs) face ongoing challenges in managing their infrastructure. Keeping track of power lines, pipelines, energy plant emissions, and other assets is essential
Summary
Utilities and local energy distribution companies (LDCs) are turning to high-resolution satellite imagery and AI-powered geospatial analytics to proactively manage critical infrastructure. Instead of costly ground crews or infrequent aerial inspections, satellites provide a continuous bird’s-eye view from orbit, detecting threats in hours rather than weeks.
Advanced commercial satellites from companies like Airbus, Vantor, and Planet Labs capture images down to 30cm resolution. Combined with cloud computing and artificial intelligence, these systems identify vegetation encroachment, unauthorized construction, soil disturbances, tree health risks, and even methane leaks as small as 1 kg/hr. Algorithms compare pixel-by-pixel changes week after week and send automated alerts when issues arise.
Utilities such as Southern Company now spot early-stage encroachments on transmission corridors, prioritize vegetation removal with precise heat maps, reduce daily incidents from dozens to one or two, and comply with new EPA “super emitter” methane rules. This space-based approach is faster, cheaper, more comprehensive, and reaches remote or inaccessible areas traditional methods cannot, preventing outages, wildfires, and environmental hazards before they occur.
Read full story at SpaceDaily…
SDI Modernization Gateway https://www.ogc.org/
by OGC Blog
The SDI Modernization Gateway, led by OGC and FGDC, envisions the next generation of Spatial Data Infrastructure. It's a call to modernize governance, technology, and workforce collaboration to power smarter, connected geospatial ecosystems worldwide.
Summary
The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) are leading the SDI Modernization Project to modernize Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI).
The project focuses on governance, data and technology, and workforce development to create a globally connected geospatial ecosystem. The initiative aims to enhance data quality, accessibility, and interoperability, leveraging emerging technologies like AI and machine learning.
Read full story at OGC…
Industry News
In Government
Debunking AI Security Myths for State and Local Governments
by Jennifer Hebert
Learn how IT officials can secure artificial intelligence systems by building on existing cybersecurity foundations and adopting multilayered strategies.
Listen (06:35)
Summary
State and local governments can secure AI systems by reinforcing existing cybersecurity practices and adapting them to address AI-specific risks.
This involves applying zero-trust principles, securing data, and involving security teams early in AI design. While AI introduces new risks, existing tools and a multilayered defense strategy can effectively mitigate them.
Read full story at StateTech…
How to Know if Your Asus Router Is One of Thousands Hacked by China-State Hackers
by Dan Goodin
So far, the hackers are laying low, likely for later use.
Summary
Thousands of end-of-life Asus routers have been compromised in a sophisticated hacking campaign dubbed WrtHug, which researchers attribute to a suspected Chinese state-sponsored group. The attack targets seven unsupported Asus models, primarily in Taiwan, with smaller clusters in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, Europe, and the U.S.
Attackers gain full administrative control, install a malicious self-signed TLS certificate (expiring in 2122 with issuer/subject fields filled with “a”), and exploit Asus’s AICloud feature. No overt malicious payload has been observed, suggesting the routers are being quietly repurposed into a covert operational relay box (ORB) network for espionage—similar to previous Chinese and Russian campaigns.
SecurityScorecard warns that compromised devices can mask future attacks. Users of affected models should immediately check certificates and replace unsupported routers.
Read full story at arsTechnica…
Trump Calls for Federal AI Standard, Warns China Will 'Easily Catch US'
by Gyana Swain
A push for unified federal rules comes as state AI regulations create a mounting compliance burden.
Summary
President Donald Trump urged Congress to enact a single federal AI regulation standard, warning that conflicting state laws threaten U.S. economic growth and risk letting China dominate the AI race. In Truth Social posts, he called for preemption language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) or a standalone bill, citing overregulation by states and attempts to embed “woke” DEI ideology into AI models.
House Republicans, led by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, are exploring adding such preemption to the must-pass NDAA. With nearly 700 state AI bills introduced in 2024 and varying rules in Colorado, California, and Texas, companies face a costly patchwork of compliance requirements for bias testing, impact assessments, and transparency.
Industry leaders like OpenAI and Nvidia support federal preemption for competitiveness, though Anthropic opposes it. Analysts argue the China threat is real but overstated, and advise enterprises to adopt strict internal governance—often based on the EU AI Act—rather than wait for uncertain federal action.
Read full story at Computerworld…
In Technology
Apple, Microsoft, or Google: Whose Platform Authenticator Rules Our Passkey Future?
by David Berlind
As we navigate the bumpy road from passwords to passkeys, the authenticator already in your system could define our passwordless future.
Summary
As passkeys replace passwords, the built-in “platform authenticator” in your device will largely determine your passwordless experience. These free, hardware-backed authenticators — Apple’s iCloud Keychain, Microsoft’s Windows Hello/Edge system, and (to a lesser extent) Google’s Chrome — dominate the ecosystem.
Apple’s implementation syncs all passkeys seamlessly across devices via iCloud Keychain, using the Secure Enclave for security. Microsoft historically tied passkeys to a device’s TPM (making them non-syncable), but as of November 2025 is rolling out cloud-synced passkeys across Edge on all platforms, plus an upcoming OS-level service supporting non-Edge apps and browsers. Google’s Chrome offers synced passkeys but blurs the line between true platform and virtual authentic, especially on non-Android devices.
Your choice of ecosystem increasingly locks in your passkey future.
Read full story at ZDNET…
Should Your Tech Company Enter the Defense Market? Five Considerations to Weigh.
by Erik Swabb, Matthew Olsen and Stephanie Evans
From acquisition complexities to investor expectations, law firm experts from WilmerHale detail what dual-use technology companies need to know before pursuing government work.
Summary
The surge in defense-tech funding has opened lucrative doors for dual-use companies to sell to the U.S. government and allies, diversifying revenue and building strategic relationships. Yet entering this market demands far more than commercial sales experience.
Five critical considerations emerge: mastering the complex defense acquisition process — engaging end users, buyers, and Congress — while translating innovation into mission needs; securing internal alignment among leadership, employees, and investors for regulated national-security work; treating rigorous compliance (cybersecurity, export controls, ethics) as a core enabler rather than a burden; ensuring capital sources accept the defense sector’s slow revenue cycles; and weighing long-term tradeoffs such as export restrictions against credibility gains.
Success requires patience, robust compliance infrastructure, and genuine commitment to supporting U.S. and allied defense missions.
Read full story at Washington Technology…
The Windows Insider Program Is a Confusing Mess
by Ed Bott
The Insider Program was a game-changer for Windows users. What went wrong?
Summary
The Windows Insider Program, launched in 2014, originally gave enthusiastic users and IT pros early access to pre-release builds, allowing meaningful feedback that shaped final Windows releases. For years, the Fast/Slow (later Dev/Beta) channels provided predictable previews tied to upcoming feature updates, giving enterprises months to prepare.
Everything changed after Windows 11. Preview cycles shrank dramatically, the Dev Channel became an untethered experimental playground where features could appear or vanish without warning, and even the Beta Channel now carries disclaimers that showcased features “may not ship.” Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR) now staggers new capabilities to public releases over weeks or months, turning every Windows user into an unwitting tester.
Recent abrupt departures of longtime program leaders — including Amanda Langowski, Brandon LeBlanc, and Jason Howard — have left the program feeling leaderless and increasingly impersonal. With Windows 11 approaching its fifth birthday, the once-revolutionary Insider initiative has lost its way, becoming unpredictable for testers and end users alike.
Read full story at ZDNET…
In Utilities
Duke Energy Proposes New Investments in North Carolina to Boost Reliability
by Duke Energy
Targeted investments will harden the grid against storms and upgrade existing power plants to maximize efficiency, saving customers money
Summary
Duke Energy has filed for revised rates with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) for both Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP), requesting a 15-15.1% increase in annual revenue.
If approved, typical residential bills for DEC customers would rise by $17.22 monthly starting in 2027, and DEP customers would see a $23.11 increase. The company asserts that the requested rates, based on a 10.95% return on equity, are necessary to balance enhancing the energy grid&ndashincluding tripling self-healing technology coverage since 2022&ndashand maximizing cost-saving measures.
These cost-saving measures include storm bonds, nuclear tax credits, and the proposed combination of DEC and DEP, which the company claims will save customers over $1 billion in future costs. Investments focus on grid upgrades, maximizing existing generation, and adding $1.7 billion in battery storage projects to power North Carolina’s unprecedented economic growth.
Read full story at Duke Energy…
Southern Company Gas Leverages Innovative Technology to Enhance the Accuracy and Safety of Underground Mapping
by Southern Company
Consistent with its longstanding commitment to innovation and serving customers, Southern Company Gas recently completed a pilot program with pioneering technology company Exodigo.
Summary
Southern Company Gas has successfully completed a pilot program with Exodigo, a pioneering technology company, to enhance the safety, reliability, and efficiency of underground infrastructure mapping. Conducted in the greater Atlanta metro area, the initiative involved collaboration between Southern Company Gas's research and development and Cross Bore Program teams and Exodigo personnel.
Exodigo's advanced technology integrates sophisticated sensors, artificial intelligence, and data analytics to create highly accurate, non-invasive maps of subsurface utilities, including pipelines, cables, and other critical infrastructure. Unlike traditional methods—such as manual digging, sewer cameras, and tracer wires——Exodigo's approach minimizes the need for exploratory excavations, reducing cross-bore risks, operational costs, and environmental disruption.
The pilot demonstrated significant benefits, including improved decision-making for maintenance and upgrades, enhanced safety by lowering the risk of accidental strikes, and more efficient prioritization of repairs. Program leaders emphasized that the technology expands their capabilities for monitoring underground infrastructure, enabling smarter, data-driven decisions that bolster system reliability and customer service.
Read full story at Southern Company…
Why America's Power Grid Will Be Able To Withstand The $2.5 Trillion A.I. Datacenter Building Boom
by Christopher Helman
Tech giants want to double A.I. electricity consumption in 5 years by enough to power more than 30 million homes. America can do it.
Summary
The world’s largest A.I. companies, including OpenAI and Google, plan to more than double their computing power by 2030, requiring a $2.5 trillion investment over the next five years. This includes $500 billion for new power plants and transmission lines to meet the massive electricity demand.
Experts forecast that American data centers will consume over 10% of total U.S. domestic electricity by 2030, raising alarms about potential power shortages and construction delays. However, optimists argue that the U.S. capital markets can meet the challenge, citing a record 63 GW of new power capacity expected this year.
Developers are bypassing utility delays by building “behind-the-meter” generation, often using natural gas, which Goldman Sachs projects will power 60% of new data center demand. Longer-term solutions include a nuclear power renaissance and increasing grid efficiencies, demonstrating a strong commitment to fueling the A.I. boom.
Read full story at Forbes…