Cybersecurity Archives

Cascading Consequences: Electrical Grid Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability

George H. Baker and Stephen Volandt May 9, 2018

If there were a prolonged nationwide, multi-week or multi-month power failure, neither the federal government nor any state, local, tribal, or territorial government – acting alone or in concert – would be able to execute an effective response. This bleak outlook results from understanding that so many critical infrastructures depend

Turning Five Crisis Leader Pitfalls Into Opportunities

Domestic Preparedness May 2, 2018

Crises are among the most daunting challenges for leaders. The very nature of true crises – complex, high-consequence events that threaten physical, emotional, economic, and/or reputational health – test a leader’s ability to discern what is happening and what is to be done. The word “crisis” derives from the Greek

In Search of Infrastructure-Proof Emergency Alerts

Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso April 18, 2018

The increased reliance on emergency text alerts to receive warnings of natural or manmade disasters is a capability that most people have come to expect. Listening to broadcast radio warnings of severe weather happening miles away has transformed into more precise, geo-located alerts that target specific locations. The benefits of

Improving Local Health Department Cybersecurity

Justin Snair April 11, 2018

Cyberattacks against local governments are becoming a new normal, yet the nation is not doing enough to prepare local health departments (LHDs) from such attacks. More than just a technological issue addressed by information technology (IT) professionals, cyberattacks can threaten lives and result in losses of integrity, availability, confidentiality, and

Five Steps Toward Enhancing Climate Resilience

Emily Wasley April 4, 2018

People, communities, businesses, and governments around the world are already experiencing the devastating human, economic, and environmental consequences of a changing climate. Many have been impacted by “acute climate shocks” such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and severe winter storms – resulting in the loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

Emerging Threats to Rail Infrastructure: Part II, Passenger

Catherine L. Feinman March 28, 2018

With millions of passengers travelling each day by rail and subway in the United States alone, the passenger rail industry and the communities they serve are faced with difficult safety and security challenges – from equipment failures to terrorist attacks. A whole community approach is needed to address these

Rail Threats & Interdependencies – Thoughts for Discussion

Domestic Preparedness March 6, 2018

In the United States, there are ongoing efforts to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure. Presidential directives, coupled with national security strategies and several iterations of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), have spanned the terms of at least four presidents and included the rail system. The volume of activity on

Evolving Needs: Interoperable Communications

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Interoperable Communications Regional Programmatic Working Group February 21, 2018

During complex and large-scale incidents, first responders in the multi-jurisdictional National Capital Region (NCR) must be able to deploy and integrate with other public safety agencies in a timely and efficient manner. The NCR, for the purposes of this document, is defined as the District of Columbia and surrounding Virginia

Incident Scale & the Need for Operational Resilience

John Contestabile and Richard Waddell January 24, 2018

Numerous incidents occur every day in the United States, from simple/frequent events like automobile accidents, train derailments, and severe weather, to catastrophic/infrequent events like the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, and the Keystone pipeline leak to name just a few. By examining factors related to the incident and

U Visas – A Hidden Homeland Security Vulnerability

Robert C. Hutchinson January 10, 2018

Immigration continues to be a relevant yet sensitive topic of discussion. Some of the most concerning immigration issues may be the ones that are more complex and not well understood by lawmakers, law enforcement, or the public. This complexity increases opportunities for abuse of an important immigration process, which then

ARTful Leadership & Disaster Management

Eric J. McNulty December 27, 2017

Disaster preparedness and response professionals had a front-row seat for the turbulence in 2017. A historic hurricane season left first responders and the communities they serve struggling to keep up. Fires continue to ravage the west. Active shooter and terrorism incidents keep everyone on edge. Infectious disease outbreaks remain a

Mass Fatality Research – New York & Beyond

Terry Hastings and Katie Joel December 20, 2017

Low-probability, high-consequence situations, such as mass fatality events, often stress or overwhelm local response capabilities within a very short timeframe. The ability to handle these situations differs greatly depending on the size of the jurisdiction affected and its readily available resources. New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency

TWITTER

Get Instant Access

Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.

Sign up for Updates!