Public Safety Cybersecurity Threat Advisory: Cisco WebEx Vulnerability

As part of our ongoing effort to keep our clients informed about the latest cybersecurity threats, we issue advisories whenever new threats are detected. If you would like to receive such advisories in the future, update your preferences here. 

Looking Beyond the Brick and Mortar - Part 2

A previous post examined some of the key technology factors that should be considered as the public safety community mulls how to evolve its communications capabilities going forward. This post explores operations, governance and funding considerations.

What the Public Safety Community Can Learn From the COVID-19 Pandemic

In a recent post, I touched upon some of the novel ways that the public safety community has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this post I’ll explore some of the most important lessons that have been learned.

First and foremost, all public safety agencies need continuity-of-operations (COOP) and disaster-recovery (DR) plans. We have roughly 150 subject-matter experts, and as they travel the country supporting clients, they often discover the complete lack of such plans and/or they come to realize that they haven’t been updated for quite some time. This always amazes me. Every agency should have such plans. As Benjamin Franklin said, “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” While the pandemic has brought this need into sharp focus, there are many events—tornados, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, hazmat incidents—that could render an emergency communications center inoperable, inaccessible or uninhabitable.

What’s Next? Conducting an Incident Response Review

As states begin to reopen and communities slowly return to normalcy, organizations, including mission-critical agencies, must evaluate their responses to the COVID-19 public-health crisis and leverage their experiences to prepare for future crises. Conducting an incident-response review, also called a hot wash, enables agencies to identify areas in which they performed well, as well as where their responses could use improvement. When conducted as part of an agency’s after-action reporting activities, this review can help build a better incident-response plan moving forward.

DAS and BDA Technology Might Seem the Same—But They’re Not

As we move about the public safety sector, we often hear a common misconception, which is that distributed antenna systems (DAS) and bidirectional amplifier (BDA) systems are the same. But while they generally serve the same purpose—which is to boost radio frequency (RF) signals to enhance in-building coverage—they are quite different. Let’s explore the basic differences.

The Aging Public Safety Facility: What You Need to Consider

The building that houses a public safety answering point (PSAP), emergency operations center (EOC) or data center is a key component of successful, continuous mission-critical operations that support emergency response. Traditionally, such a facility will impact the agency and community it serves for two decades or more. As that 20-25-year mark approaches, how do you decide when it might be time to consider a renovation or brand-new facility? Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• How old are the building and any additions that have been built over the years?
• Is the facility located in a space or area that was specifically designed to house mission-critical operations?
• Is the building old, small or dilapidated?
• Has the building been hardened to secure the facility and protect continued operations?
• Does the building pose health, safety or other risks to the staff?
• Are existing infrastructure, building systems or space limitations already causing concerns?
• Have you added systems without reviewing the effect on power and cooling?