By: Matt Polega

Matt Polega is a cofounder and head of external affairs at Mark43, a leading cloud-based public safety software company.

You’ve probably watched news segments, documentaries, TV shows and films about the police. Some of them probably included dramatic and dangerous car chases, arrests and gunfire. Although dealing with violent crime is part of a police officer’s day, it typically is not how they spend most of their time.

For instance, according to this New York Times article, police officers spend about 4% of their time handling violent crime. Based on the focus on violent crime in news and entertainment media, that 4% may be lower than you guessed. Many people outside the profession don’t know how police officers spend their days.

Recent national surveys of American consumers revealed that Americans have misperceptions about law enforcement, including the daily activities of law enforcement professionals and the tools they use.

For example, about 39% of respondents to a survey we conducted believe that police officers are texting friends, reading personal emails and scrolling through social media when using their mobile phones. This is simply not true. Police officers use their phones for mission-critical communications, including receiving alerts and assignments from headquarters, communicating with supervisors and other officers and staff, and collecting information to support an investigation. Having technology accessible through their devices helps law enforcement professionals streamline reporting, spend more time in the field and not have to return to the station to do paperwork.

Misconceptions About Disaster Preparedness

You probably also watch TV shows depicting police with every technology at their fingertips to handle every imaginable situation. But in reality, police departments are not prepared to remain functional with extreme weather and other disruptive events, including hurricanes, floods, wildfires and power grid failures. These disasters are happening more frequently and are leading to system failures that stop police from delivering lifesaving help to their communities.

While 29% of Americans believe their local public safety agency is adequately prepared to handle the uptick in natural disasters, the vast majority of agencies are not.

However, leading public safety agencies that have cloud-native computer-aided dispatch and other essential cloud-native systems can continue to run lifesaving technology on mobile devices that can be accessed anywhere. For power outages, they have universal power supplies and other fixed and mobile battery backup systems. If office Wi-Fi is inaccessible, mobile hot spots can substitute, and public Wi-Fi networks may be available nearby through virtual private networks to protect information. Police need tools that can use the bounty of connectivity available to us every day.

With cloud-native dispatch systems and in extreme conditions, dispatchers could even work from home to diversify the locations supporting emergency dispatch operations and remove the single-point-of-failure risk of a sole dispatch facility failing.

Most cloud hosting service providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovGloud, automatically failover to another location if one location is compromised and automatically create data, application and system backups. Such widely available, cost-effective and easily maintainable modern innovations can reduce the risk of complete equipment and communication failures.

Misconceptions About Cybersecurity

When you see Hollywood portrayals of public safety, it may be easy to think that police have optimal cybersecurity.

However, the majority of first responders (82%) fear their organization’s data could fall victim to cybercrime. With cyberattacks on the rise and public safety agencies too often primary targets, the big-screen depiction of protective technology is not what it seems—and first responders think they are at risk. It’s more critical than ever that all agencies have the best available cybersecurity.

If correctly prioritized, it’s not difficult for any agency to have a sophisticated cybersecurity protocol, which can be developed with vendors if in-house experts are unavailable. However, it is difficult to implement the protocol if an agency is running on antiquated on-premises systems, which are more challenging and expensive to maintain and present a greater cybersecurity risk than cloud-native systems.

The cybersecurity advantages of cloud-native systems include automated updates, regulatory compliance and being hosted on security-focused behemoths such as AWS GovCloud that command vast cybersecurity resources. Implementing a cybersecurity protocol is best done with cloud-native systems and hosting providers that can easily map their services to agency security needs.

Misconceptions About Federal Security Standards

A survey conducted by Mark43 also revealed Americans think that policing is a centrally regulated, homogeneous entity. Seventy-three percent of Americans believe most public safety agencies are required to follow an overarching set of federal security standards, but in reality, it’s a patchwork quilt of thousands of law enforcement agencies operating independently.

State and local American law enforcement is practiced in various ways across the country. However, there are national and statewide cybersecurity and IT standards that agencies are adopting to protect their integrity and that of the community. These standards help agencies promote and share best practices with their peers.

The standout state and local agencies engage with technology partners that achieve certification for high security, availability, confidentiality, privacy and processing integrity standards, including StateRAMP (State Risk and Authorization Management Program) and SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2).

While state and local agencies will continue to operate and implement security independently from each other and federal agencies, federal agencies can engage only with technology vendors that have received FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) certification.

With more than 2,000 cyber breach incidents affecting the public sector every year since 2021, the stakes have never been higher. As more states decide to put security first and mandate that vendors have the premier security and IT protocols in place, Americans can be reassured that their local law enforcement agencies have the necessary tools to protect against these threats and crimes.

Policing isn’t what you see in the movies. Instead, it’s rife with invisible threats like cybercriminals and the weather. The industry is adopting mobile tools, cloud-native software and shared standards for security and best practices, but every agency operates independently.

Within a few years, I believe police will have technologies similar to those portrayed by Hollywood, and Americans may have a better understanding of how complicated a police officer’s day can be.

Original Story: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2023/12/13/dispelling-misconceptions-about-law-enforcement-and-the-tools-they-use/

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mark43, the leading cloud-native public safety software company, today announced the results of a U.S. national survey of first responders revealing major concerns with cybersecurity, disaster recovery and information-technology (IT) resilience. Public safety professionals want technology upgrades and adoption of federal standards for first responder IT security, reporting and efficiency. A new 2024 U.S. Public Safety Trends Report released today documents the complete survey results.

“We heard a resounding response from first responders across the country: They are concerned about their public safety agency’s ability to withstand cyberattacks and natural disasters, given the ever-increasing number and severity of bad actors attacking public infrastructure as well as the uptick in extreme weather incidents,” said Matthew Polega, Co-founder and President, Mark43. “Public safety professionals made it clear that they need access to modernized systems — like cloud-native CAD and RMS — to improve the security and resilience of their agencies, so they can respond faster to community members in need. Our 2024 U.S. Public Safety Trends Report shows that technology plays a central role in everything a public safety agency does, and by using Mark43 technology, police departments can improve the safety and quality of life for all.”

The below data points from the survey illustrate the vast majority of first responders’ concerns about cybersecurity, natural disasters, power grid failures, dispatch outages and IT malfunctions, and their suggestions for improving IT resilience.

First responders are seriously concerned about cybersecurity attacks, and have experienced them, too.

• The ever-increasing number, severity and cost of cyberattacks is reflected in the concerns and experiences of first responders. Eighty-two percent worry that their organization’s data could be stolen or fall victim to ransomware, a 6% increase over the 2023 U.S. Public Safety Trends survey, showing a need for enhanced security like cloud-based computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management systems (RMS).
• A near-total majority (91%) of first responders have experienced cybersecurity-related issues in the past year like phishing, scam calls and malware attacks. Scam calls and malware/viruses are now the leading cybersecurity concern for first responders, overtaking phishing from last year’s survey.
• A near-total majority (92%) of first responders also are somewhat or very concerned about how their agencies would handle a tactical response to cyberattacks or physical attacks at large-scale events like sports games, concerts and conventions.

Public safety professionals have major concerns regarding natural disasters and power grid failures.

• The vast majority of first responders are also very concerned about the impact of natural disasters and power grid failures on their agencies, with 84% reporting that such events can overwhelm public safety agencies and impact the service they deliver to their community.
• Alarmingly, 96% would be somewhat or very concerned if on-site mission-critical servers that are used in on-premises systems were in a location in the path of a hurricane or other major weather event.

Emergency responders have experienced dispatch outages that impact response time.

• More than two-thirds (67%) of first responders have experienced dispatch outages, and 88% have experienced other IT malfunctions. Eighty-four percent of first responders using computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems have experienced a CAD outage that impacted response times, including over a third (35%) who experience CAD outages six to 10 times per year.
• Seventy-five percent of first responders reported that inefficient IT systems cause outages, delays and other malfunctions. This is an increase of 8% over a similar survey last year. Seconds matter in emergency response and can impact lifesaving services for those in need.

Public safety professionals call for enhanced security standards to combat cyberattacks, IT outages and malfunctions.

• First responders also lay out solutions for the cybersecurity, disaster recovery and dispatch outage concerns and problems they report, including their top three: more accurate reporting (52%), increased efficiency (51%) and increased data security (51%), all of which are easily attainable with modern cloud-native systems.
• A near-total majority (93%) believe the general public would feel better if their local public safety agencies were required to adhere to federal cybersecurity standards, like FedRAMP, which mandates a premier and standardized approach to security and risk assessment for cloud technologies.
• First responders and the general public agree on this issue, as nearly 80% of general population respondents expressed support for local adoption of federal law-enforcement technology standards in a separate survey.

The Mark43 2024 U.S. Public Safety Trends report includes complete survey results and trends.

Using the expertise of emergency responders collected through the survey, insight from Mark43 customers, and input from leading luminaries in law enforcement, the Mark43 2024 U.S. Public Safety Trends report identifies the below emerging six trends that will impact public safety in 2024 and beyond. You can find the full report here.

1. Artificial Intelligence is here to stay
2. Modern technology is a solution to the recruitment and retention crisis
3. Technology systems must be resilient and secure
4. Mobility is not the future, it’s the now
5. Breaking data out of silos is critical for facilitating community trust and multi-agency coordination
6. Gun violence still requires a relentless focus and modern technology is a critical component

“As we approach 2024, first responders expect public safety agencies to use modern technology solutions that are resilient and reliable so they can focus on keeping their communities safe,” Polega said. “In 2024, we will see leading public safety agencies prioritize security and resilience to support critical decision-making, better allocate resources, and ultimately, serve their communities even more effectively.”

Survey methodology

A national online survey of 349 first responders was conducted by Propeller Insights between October 3 and October 18, 2023. Respondents opted into an online database; from there, they were targeted based on demographics. To further confirm qualifications, respondents were asked to verify their information in the survey itself with self-identifying qualifications. The maximum margin of sampling error was +/- 5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

About Mark43

Mark43 is the leading cloud-native public safety technology company. By delivering a modern, intuitive and mobile-first records management system, computer-aided dispatch and analytics platform, Mark43 empowers governments and their communities to improve the safety and quality of life for all. Working with more than 200 local, state and federal public safety agencies, Mark43 is transforming how first responders use technology to respond, engage and serve the community. Mark43 provides the tools, resources, expertise, and security foundation that public safety needs today, tomorrow, and beyond. For more information or to request a demo, visit www.mark43.com.

Original Story: https://drj.com/industry_news/majority-of-u-s-first-responders-call-for-technology-upgrades-to-stop-cyberattacks-dispatch-outages-and-to-prepare-for-natural-disasters-according-to-new-national-survey/

By: Kajal Chavan

For cops, firemen, and individuals they serve, seconds count, yet it’s not only up to specialists on call.

A quick reaction begins with the main call to 911.

That is the reason west rural Berwyn is introducing another state of the art dispatch framework, the first of its sort in Illinois.

It utilizes a portion of the comparative tech that powers administrations individuals utilize consistently, similar to Amazon and Spotify.

It won’t be in that frame of mind until the following summer, yet CBS 2’s Jim Williams got an exhibit.

CBS 2 got a glance at Berwyn’s new dispatch framework.

Matt Polega helped to establish Mark43 and made the framework.

Subsequent to accepting an emergency call, the dispatcher enters the area, witness data, and the vehicles in question. They then, at that point, utilize the framework to send it to specialists on call.

It can likewise be shipped off a cell phone.

Modern emergency dispatch system is purchased by a Chicago suburb© Provided by Fab World Today

“You might see, I’m simply in an internet browser at the present time,” Polega said. ” We’re totally cloud local.”

That implies the entire dispatch framework can work with only a PC from anyplace with web access. Since the framework works on the cloud, there will be less blackouts.

“In the event that there’s a calamity circumstance, assuming our administration goes down here, we can in any case depend on them in the cloud,” said Wayne Sedore, Berwyn’s chief of crisis correspondences.

It’s a quick framework to utilize, Polega said, so dispatchers can get teams to crises faster when seconds count.

“What the occupants of Berwyn can insight from this change is, ideally, a more accessible division,” said Sedore.

Berwyn Fire Boss Thomas Hayes added, “The sooner we arrive, the more secure they will be.”

What’s more, when the crisis is finished, the framework continues advancing by gathering information after some time.

“We’ll have the option to take that data and apportion assets, for example, cops, ambulances, fire reaction,” Hayes said.

Authorities’ objective is greater security, speedier reaction, and better comprehension for Berwyn.

“We need to convey the best administrations we can to our local area,” Hayes said.

Sedore added the change has been “bound to happen, a truly necessary change for us.”

Berwyn’s new dispatch framework ought to be ready to go the following summer. One of the greatest selling focuses is something the typical individual probably won’t ponder: paperwork.

It makes documenting reports quicker, importance cops and firemen can get back on the roads speedier.

Berwyn’s full Mark43 framework costs $1.3 million north of five years.

Original Story: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/modern-emergency-dispatch-system-is-purchased-by-a-chicago-suburb/ar-AA1jmKOc

By: Staff

As artificial intelligence amplifies the sophistication and reach of phishing, vishing, and smishing attacks, understanding and managing human cyber risks has become increasingly vital. Security awareness training is essential and must be a live, evolving process.

In this Help Net Security video, Larry Zorio, CISO at Mark43, explains how security awareness and training is one of the most important controls you can focus on, and it’s really good hygiene for your company. It is a control that can span your company and create a cybersecurity-conscious culture.

And then, once you have that culture, you can create not only a first line of defense with regards to a cyber attack or a cyber incident or risk but also the last line of defense.

Original Story: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/10/30/security-awareness-approach-video/