2883 Highway 71 E
P.O. Box 285
Del Valle, TX 78617-9998
Founded in 1998, Domestic Preparedness continues to be a pioneering thought leader in the emergency preparedness, response, and recovery space. The multidisciplinary editorial focus helps professionals acquire critical information to develop collaborative, real-world solutions. With relevant, multidisciplinary, whole-community intelligence from the front lines, practitioners can learn from diverse perspectives. The authoritative, practitioner-centered, multimedia information platform disseminates intelligence the way busy management-level public- and private-sector professionals want to learn. This is the trusted source for content written by practitioners, for practitioners, with relevant, real-world best practices.
2883 Highway 71E
P.O. Box 285
Del Valle, TX 78617-9998
Founded in 1998, Domestic Preparedness continues to be a pioneering thought leader in the emergency preparedness, response, and recovery space. The multidisciplinary editorial focus helps professionals acquire critical information to develop collaborative, real-world solutions. With relevant, multidisciplinary, whole-community intelligence from the front lines, practitioners can learn from diverse perspectives. The authoritative, practitioner-centered, multimedia information platform disseminates intelligence the way busy management-level public- and private-sector professionals want to learn. This is the trusted source for content written by practitioners, for practitioners, with relevant, real-world best practices.
Local-Level Planning for National-Level Threats
Society’s dependence on cellphones, computers, the internet, and other cyber-related communication and storage devices creates exponential vulnerabilities as cyberthreats become more sophisticated and prevalent. As cyber-dependencies increase, so does the cyberthreat landscape, which ranges from targeted ransomware attacks to complex phishing schemes. Although financial losses often get a lot of attention, the consequences of such attacks at the local level can have much more devastating effects. For example, critical lifeline services like 911 call centers and food and agricultural supply chains rely on digital communications and data-driven systems that can be desirable targets for cybercriminals.
The scope and scale of the cyberworld increase the likelihood that local agencies and organizations that have not already been targeted will one day be on the frontlines of a cyberattack. This is particularly concerning for emergency response agencies, hospitals, government entities, critical infrastructure, businesses, and other community stakeholders that house systems and data that communities depend upon. The intentional or unintentional release of the information they store or the denial of access to their systems would have cascading effects throughout the community.
Each malicious or nonmalicious incident highlights the urgency for local agencies and organizations to identify vulnerabilities and close existing gaps. To safeguard these systems and critical resources, local stakeholders should take a proactive approach to assess their threats, hazards, and risks and incorporate additional security measures such as risk assessments, situational awareness training, and incident response plans that include cyber. Raising awareness about common cyberthreats and ethical issues related to data management before, during, and after a crisis can prevent or mitigate these threats.
The authors in this October edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal share their knowledge and best practices for protecting communities from cybercriminals, nation-state threat actors, and transnational criminal organizations. These threats, which used to be typically handled at the state and national levels, are now local-level concerns that require robust plans to keep communities safe.
Catherine L. Feinman
Catherine L. Feinman, M.A., joined Domestic Preparedness in January 2010. She has more than 35 years of publishing experience and currently serves as editor-in-chief of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, DomesticPreparedness.com, and The Weekly Brief. She works with writers and other contributors to build and create new content that is relevant to the emergency preparedness, response, and recovery communities. She received a bachelor’s degree in International Business from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from American Military University.
SHARE:
TAGS:
COMMENTS
RELATED ARTICLES
TRENDING
October 2024
Growing Foreign Threats to National Security, Part 2: Emergency Management Approaches and Choices
Growing Foreign Threats to National Security, Part 1: Challenges and Considerations
RELATED ARTICLES
TRENDING
October 2024
Growing Foreign Threats to National Security, Part 2: Emergency Management Approaches and Choices
Growing Foreign Threats to National Security, Part 1: Challenges and Considerations