Increasingly, cities are upgrading their emergency response systems to take advantage of new digital technologies, rather than continuing to rely on call-centers, according to an article in Security Boulevard. Under the name of NextGen 911 (NG911), the telecoms responsible for supporting the 911 networks are instead pushing calls through an emergency services IP network, which is expected to reduce the number of unanswered calls by allowing more rapid rerouting to available responders.
This increased digitization does offer some risks though, as it’s more exposed to the threat of a cyberattack than older systems. In response, increased efforts have been put into isolating the NG911 system from outside access and increasing testing and monitoring for potential attacks and breaches. Additionally, the digital routing of the calls should help reduce the risk of a total loss of the system, allowing for redundancy in the event individual call-centers are compromised, and increasing the likelihood that at least some aspects of the 911 response system remain operational at all times.
Source:
https://securityboulevard.com/2021/10/nextgen-911-and-the-future-of-emergency-management/
