Reposted from EMR-ISAC

In an age where digital systems have an electronic tendril in nearly every aspect of our lives, the role of cybersecurity researchers is more important than ever. The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “See Something, Say Something” campaign is a cornerstone of public safety in the physical world, but the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) sees these principles as being just as important in the online world. Information security researchers act as the digital equivalents of observant citizens, uncovering flaws in systems that could otherwise be exploited by criminals and foreign threat actors. This Oct. 23 CISA blog outlines the ideal process for a typical coordinated vulnerability disclosure and tips for ensuring clear communications during a crisis. It encourages public entities and critical infrastructure owners to engage with security researchers and foster a culture of collaboration for vulnerability reporting.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

As natural disasters, extreme weather, and climate change increasingly impact society, resilience across homeland security missions, systems and communities is of increasing importance. Robust scientific weather, water, space, and climate information and technologies are necessary to solidify critical supply chains, infrastructure sectors, and community response. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) released a report last month, Extreme Weather: Opportunities for Improved Preparedness and Resilience. The report focuses on understanding the state of extreme weather science (with an emphasis on floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, extreme heat, and wildfires), advances in observational technologies and networks, and the emerging domain of environmental intelligence necessary to develop proper risk mitigation strategies and better enable frontline operations. This report is built on a DHS S&T and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joint workshop hosted at the University of Oklahoma National Weather Center in February 2024.

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Reposted from AMM

Reposted from Honeywell

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Reposted from SafeHaven Security

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. FEMA's Region 2 Individual Community Preparedness Program and the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) will host a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 1-2:30 p.m. EDT, Navigating the Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape. The cyber threat environment, including the tactics and techniques used, is constantly evolving. New lures and scams are developed to target individuals, business, and organizations with the goal of siphoning funds, accessing accounts, and stealing information. As such, this presentation will cover those prevalent threats and tactics, ways to identify them, and how to protect ourselves from becoming victims of cybercrime. This webinar is open to everyone, including individuals, parents, students, and families; businesses, volunteer organizations, and civic and faith-based organizations’ leadership; and federal, state, local, territorial and Tribal Nation governmental agencies’ staff.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

An unauthorized party stole encrypted internal data related to employee user accounts from home and small business security provider ADT, the company said Monday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company detected the unauthorized access Oct. 2, according to the filing, and said the “unauthorized actor had illegally accessed ADT’s network using compromised credentials obtained through a third-party business partner.” The incident is the second cyberattack disclosed by the company in two months. In an Aug. 7 SEC filing, the company disclosed that during a “cybersecurity incident … unauthorized actors illegally accessed certain databases containing ADT customer order information” that included email addresses, phone numbers and postal addresses.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

On Sept. 27, the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) published a position paper in the journal Prehospital Emergency Care, Best Practices for Collaboration Between Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services During Acute Behavioral Emergencies. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and law enforcement (LE) frequently work as a team in encounters with individuals experiencing acute behavioral emergencies manifesting with severe agitation and aggression. A coordinated and unified response enhances the safety and effective management of potentially serious situations posed by individuals experiencing such acute behavioral emergencies. IN 2023, NAEMSP, IAFC, and IACP brought together a group of representatives to discuss this issue. The group developed this position paper to provide guidance and direction in the shared responsibility of managing and caring for a person displaying behavioral instability with irrational, agitated, and/or violent behavior. The paper discusses the roles of LE, 9-1-1 call centers (also called Emergency Call Centers or “ECCs”), EMS, and Fire. It provides a framework endorsed by the NAEMSP, IACP, and the IAFC that outlines a collaborative approach to acute behavioral emergencies. The paper is organized into sections that follow the steps of response, from the initial 911 call and dispatch to post-incident analysis:

• Processing of the call by Emergency Call Center (ECC); Crisis intervention teams and 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
• Scene threat assessment; De-escalation; Self-preservation.
• Lifesaving is everyone’s duty; Duty to Act/Just culture; Subject or Patient?
• Medical Evaluation; Restraints and Patient Positioning.
• Transport; Transition of Care at Destination; Importance of Appropriate Documentation.
• Post Incident Analysis (PIA).

This 2024 position statement acknowledges the work of a 2021 position statement, Clinical Care and Restraint of the Agitated Patient by Emergency Medical Services Practitioners, which provided an important foundation for the broader discussion of the multidisciplinary collaboration that is already occurring between the emergency response disciplines for the preservation of life and safety. The 2021 position statement was developed by the NAEMSP, the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO), National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA), National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), and the American Paramedic Association (APA).

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

The 2024 election cycle is now underway, and the Nov. 5 Election Day is fast approaching. U.S. elections remain an attractive target for both nation-states and cyber criminals. Election officials and private sector election infrastructure partners are the frontline defenders in securing the electoral process from the physical, cyber, and operational security threats they face. The following are several resources that may assist emergency managers and emergency responders in their roles ensuring physical security, security of election workers and public officials, and planning and coordination for special security events or large gatherings related to elections. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a Cross-Sector Checklist to Support Elections on Sept. 30. The administration of elections relies on infrastructure owned and operated by other critical infrastructure sectors. Scheduled or unexpected outages in other critical infrastructure sectors could have significant cascading effects on the administration of an election. This resource is a checklist that provides a series of questions to help critical infrastructure owners identify actions they can take to support elections. It also gives a basic overview of election administration and highlights how other sectors play a critical role in election operations. CISA launched an Election Security Resource Library as part of its #Protect2024 campaign. This collection has several additional planning checklists for physical security of election offices, facilities, ballot boxes, polling locations, as well as resources on mitigating insider threats and swatting attacks.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released an Election Security Resource Guide last month. This resource outlines the activities eligible for grant funding under the Homeland Security Grant Program that enhance election security and the protection of soft targets and crowded places. It lists several additional guidance documents from CISA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) related to election security for state and local officials, emergency managers, and critical infrastructure owners and operators. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released an Insight last month, Election Worker Safety and Privacy. Concerns about election workers’ safety and privacy have been reported in surveys, news articles, and congressional hearings from the 2020 elections through the current election cycle. This Insight provides a brief overview of recent federal activity on election worker safety and privacy.

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