Cybersecurity

AI and 911 Call Systems: A New Ally or a Hidden Risk?

Michael Breslin September 11, 2024

In today’s world, where the unexpected can strike at any moment, the systems designed to protect people – 911 call centers – are facing unprecedented challenges. From natural disasters to sophisticated cyberthreats, the risks to public safety are evolving fast. For example, a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Maui, in August 2023 destroyed much of the town, causing significant loss of life and property. The call volume overwhelmed 911 dispatchers. A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare…

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Security fence surrounding the U.S. Capitol after 6-January-2021

Security in and Around D.C. – Following the Informational Dots

Catherine L. Feinman September 11, 2024

Preparing for any special event includes many unknowns. When an event involves national security, the stakes are even higher. Public safety agencies have been sharing their lessons learned and providing recommendations to prepare the nation for the upcoming election events. Read some of the takeaways they shared at the D.C.

Dual-World Tabletop Exercises – Addressing Unmet Infrastructure Needs

Charles (Chuck) L. Manto August 21, 2024

The U.S. critical infrastructure is vulnerable to many forms of cyber and electromagnetic threats. This article presents a new tabletop exercise concept for addressing these ongoing threats to critical infrastructure. Similar to medical research groups that involve treatment and control groups, two exercise groups would work simultaneously on the same

Honeycomb graphic with images of the critical infrastructure sectors

Resilience-Based CI and Domestic Preparedness: A Long-Overdue Imperative

Jeff Gaynor May 15, 2024

For decades, preparedness leaders have known and publicly warned about the rapidly growing and metastasizing threats to and exploitable vulnerabilities of U.S. critical infrastructure (CI). Ongoing iterations of the 1990s-era CI status quo (i.e., cybersecurity- and protection-focused efforts) have proven no match for the existing, much less looming, threats to

A dark tunnel of question marks with a bright city skyline in the center

The “R” Word

George Schwartz April 10, 2024

Resilience has multiple meanings for public health, emergency, and homeland security management professionals. However, the objective of building resilience should go beyond hazard mitigation. With 2024 being FEMA’s “Year of Resilience,” it is a good time for professionals to start rethinking this concept.

CYBERSECURITY Archives

Nation-State Activity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing

Margaret (Margie) Graves February 28, 2024

The development of artificial intelligence and quantum computing has exploded in recent years. However, as many countries find new ways to leverage these technologies for

A Holistic Approach to Cybersecurity Risk

Ernesto Ballesteros February 28, 2024

Cybersecurity is a core business process that involves the entire organization or agency. So, it should not be brushed off as an “IT thing.” A

Protecting Infrastructure – Cyber, Physical, and EMP Attacks

David Winks February 21, 2024

Imagine 3,500 spiders, each with their own style, getting together to create a giant web. That’s how this author describes the U.S. power grid and

Fighting Cyberattacks at the Western Hemisphere’s Busiest Port

Gene Seroka February 14, 2024

Cargo shipping ports are highly visible and vulnerable targets for cybercriminals. The executive director of the Port of Los Angeles shares their efforts to combat

Needed: More Imagination for Countering Domestic Risks

Jeanne Benincasa Thorpe February 7, 2024

From “Lord of the Flies” to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, significant consequences have been blamed on failures of imagination. Avoid repeating past mistakes and

Commercial Facilities Sector Perspectives

Kole (KC) Campbell January 31, 2024

Commercial facilities dominate the U.S. economy, contributing trillions of dollars to the U.S. gross domestic product while employing and supporting millions of jobs. Learn more