Survey Shows First Responders Seek Solutions to Cybersecurity, Dispatch Outages
Image via iStock
By Tammy Leytham
A national survey of first responders shows major concerns with cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and information-technology resilience, according to Mark43, a leading cloud-native public safety software company.
Public safety professionals want technology upgrades and adoption of federal standards for first responder IT security, reporting, and efficiency, according to the 2024 U.S. Public Safety Trends Report released in December.
First responders “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,” Mark43 Co-founder/President Matthew Polega said. “Public safety professionals made it clear 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.”
The report shows technology plays a central role in everything a public safety agency does. With Mark43 technology, police departments can improve the safety and quality of life for all, he said.
Data points from the survey illustrate most first responders’ concerns about cybersecurity, natural disasters, power grid failures, dispatch outages, and IT malfunctions, and their suggestions for improving IT resilience.
Many first responders have actually experienced cybersecurity attacks.
The ever-increasing number, severity and cost of cyberattacks is reflected in the concerns and experiences of first responders. Eighty-two percent worry their organization’s data could be stolen or fall victim to ransomware, a 6 percent 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 percent) 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 percent) of first responders are also 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.
In January 2024, cyberattacks targeted the Bucks County (Pa.) Emergency Communications Department; the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C.; and the city of Beckley, W. V., according to KonBriefing, an independent market research company in the IT field. KonBriefing reported hundreds of cyberattacks targeting colleges, municipalities, healthcare facilities, and government entities in 2023.
Other findings from the Mark43 report
Most first responders are very concerned about the impact of natural disasters and power grid failures on their agencies, with 84 percent reporting that such events can overwhelm public safety agencies and impact the service they deliver to their communities.
Alarmingly, 96 percent would be somewhat or very concerned if on-site mission-critical servers used in on-premises systems were located in the path of a hurricane or other significant weather event.
Real-Life Experience
Over two-thirds (67 percent) of first responders have experienced dispatch outages, and 88 percent have experienced other IT malfunctions. Eighty-four percent of first responders using computer-aided dispatch systems have experienced a CAD outage that impacted response times, including over a third (35 percent) 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 percent over a similar survey last year.
Public safety professionals are calling for enhanced security standards to combat cyberattacks, IT outages, and malfunctions. First responders laid out solutions for the cybersecurity, disaster recovery and dispatch outage concerns and problems they report, including their top three:
More accurate reporting (52 percent), increased efficiency (51 percent) and increased data security (51 percent).
A near-total majority (93 percent) 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 percent of the general population respondents expressed support for local adoption of federal law-enforcement technology standards in a separate survey.
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 order the full report here.
The Trends
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay
Modern technology is a solution to the recruitment and retention crisis
Technology systems must be resilient and secure
Mobility is not the future, it’s the now
Breaking data out of silos is critical for facilitating community trust and multi-agency coordination
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.”
The national online survey of 349 first responders was conducted by Propeller Insights between Oct. 3 and Oct. 18, 2023. Respondents opted into an online database; from there, they were targeted based on demographics.