Write at least 500 words analyzing a subject you find in this article related to a threat to confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data. Use an example from the news.

Order ready-to-submit essays. No Plagiarism Guarantee!

Note:  All our papers are written from scratch by human writers to ensure authenticity and originality.

Write at least 500 words analyzing a subject you find in this article related to a threat to confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data. Use an example from the news. 

Cite your sources. Do not copy. Write in essay format not in bulleted, numbered or other list format.

1

Cyber Risks to Next Generation 911 The advent of Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems, which operate on an Internet Protocol (IP) platform, enables interconnection on with a wide range of public and private networks, such as wireless networks, the Internet, and regular phone networks. NG911 systems will enhance the current capabilities of today’s 911 networks, allowing compatibility with more types of communication, providing greater situational awareness to dispatchers and emergency responders, and establishing a level of resilience not previously possible. NG911 will allow Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to accept and process a range of information from responders and the public alike, including real-time text, images, video, and voice calls. In addition, NG911 will provide PSAPs with supplemental location data, which may enable more effective response.

Traditional 911 services typically operate over standard voice-based telephone networks and use software, such as computer-aided dispatch systems, that operate on closed, internal networks with little to no interconnections with other systems. The limited means of entry into the traditional 911 network significantly limited potential attack vectors, and what little cyber risk existed could be easily managed. NG911’s interconnections enable new response capabilities, as shown in Figure 1. However, they also represent new vectors for attack that can disrupt or disable PSAP operations, broadening the concerns of―and complicating the mitigation and management of―cyber risks across all levels of government.

The potential cyber risks to a NG911 system do not undermine its tremendous benefits. Nevertheless, cyber risks do present a new level of exposure that PSAPs must understand and actively manage as a part of a comprehensive risk management program. Past events have proven 911 systems are attractive targets for cyber-attacks. For example, attackers have disrupted availability of traditional 911 systems by using auto-dialers to overwhelm PSAP phone lines and cause congestion, preventing legitimate 911 calls from going through [commonly called Telephone Denial of Service (TDoS) attacks] and location-based records and databases that support NG911 are of interest to cyber criminals, data miners, and even nation- states wanting to access and exploit that information.

As cyber threats grow in complexity and sophistication, attacks could be more severe against an NG911 system as attackers can launch multiple distributed attacks with greater automation from a broader geography against more targets. This issue paper provides an overview of NG911 cyber infrastructure, conveys the cyber risk landscape associated with NG911, offers an approach for assessing and managing risks, and provides additional NG911 resources.

Figure 1: NG911 Benefits and Risks

Benefits NG911 will enhance response capabilities:  Enables receipt of data

(e.g., video, text) from the public over a variety of networks

 Enables data sharing between PSAPs

 Improves location data  Allows for virtual

PSAPs for survivability

Risks NG911 is different from traditional systems:  Requires standardized

identity management and credentialing across systems

 Allows for potential attacks to quickly escalate or proliferate across systems

 Introduces new attack vectors

2

Cyber Infrastructure The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) describes NG911 systems as an IP-based system comprised of hardware, software, data, and operational policies and procedures that: • Provides standardized interfaces from emergency call and message services; • Processes all types of emergency calls, including voice, data, and multimedia information; • Acquires and integrates additional emergency call data useful to call routing and handling; • Delivers emergency calls, messages, and data to the appropriate PSAP and other entities; • Supports data and communications needs for coordinated incident response and management; and • Provides broadband service to PSAPs or other first responder entities.1

NENA defines several basic building blocks of NG911 systems, as described below:

• Emergency Services IP Networks (ESInets). ESInets are at the center of NG911 systems. These broadband networks are engineered and managed to use Internet protocols and standards to carry voice and data traffic (e.g., text, pictures, videos) in support of local, regional, state, and national emergency management authorities.

• Applications and Databases. NG911 uses a wide range of internal and external databases to support its services. Internal databases validate and route data, record call details, and enforce policy and business rules. External databases host many of the datasets that call takers and dispatchers rely on to provide improved accuracy and shortened response time, including location data, government records, law enforcement records, healthcare information, and infrastructure data.

• Standards and Security. NG911 uses functions and protocols that are compliant with international IP standards, as well as standards developed within the emergency response community. NENA defines NG911 standards based on Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) IP standards.2 In addition to NENA, there are a number of other entities that establish standards for NG911 systems, including the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), and the IETF.3

1 “What is NG911?”.NENA. http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/ng9-1-1_project/whatisng911.pdf.

2 The full list of NG911 functions, called the “i3” architecture, are defined in NENA 08-003, “Detailed Functional and Interface Standards for NG911.” NENA has also defined security standard 75-001, “NENA Security for Next Generation 9-1-1 Standard (NG-SEC).” The i3 functions and standards, NG-SEC, and the full suite of other NG911 standards can be found at https://www.nena.org/?page=Standards.

3 A full review of NG911 standards can be found on the National 911 Program’s website at http://www.911.gov/pdf/NG911-Standards-Identification-and-Analysis-March2015.pdf.

Figure 2: Simplified ESInet Diagramhttp://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/ng9-1-1_project/whatisng911.pdfhttps://www.nena.org/?page=Standardshttp://www.911.gov/pdf/NG911-Standards-Identification-and-Analysis-March2015.pdf

3

Per the definition above, cyber infrastructure for NG911 systems includes the IP-based networks, assets, databases, and services, as they are involved in the processing, storage, and transport of data. Specifically, an NG911 system’s cyber infrastructure includes: • Assets that are part of, or interconnect with, ESInets • Service provider networks and applications that interconnect with ESInets • Government applications and services that connect to ESInets • Dispatch systems and components that connect to ESInets

Traditionally, the term “cyber” has been applied to only information technology (IT) systems and assets, while communications infrastructure was considered separate. However, defining cyber infrastructure as including both IT and communications systems accounts for the many ways in which these systems have converged. NG911 administrators should recognize this convergence in order to more effectively counter risks. Risks to any component of these systems could threaten an entire NG911 system or its data, so it is important to consider systems holistically.

The NG911 Cybersecurity Risk Landscape Cybersecurity4 risks occur when a threat exploits a vulnerability, leading to an undesired event that has a negative consequence on the desired state of the network. The three attributes most necessary for a secure system are often referred to as the C-I-A Triad: • Confidentiality: Ensures that data is only accessed by those authorized to see it. • Integrity: Ensures that data is trustworthy and is not altered through transmittal, storage, or retrieval. • Availability: Ensures that the infrastructure—either components of the network or the network as

a whole—is operational and committable to its intended purpose.

The CIA Triad is used as a benchmark for evaluating information system security by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and others. Loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability has especially severe impacts in the emergency response domain. For example, loss of confidentiality within NG911 systems could expose information to identity thefts or disrupt ongoing investigations; loss of integrity could disrupt response to 911 calls; and loss of availability could prevent urgent requests from reaching a PSAP.

4 Cybersecurity is “the prevention of damage to, unauthorized use of, exploitation of, and, if needed, the restoration of electronic information and communications systems and services (and the information contained therein) to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability”, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Infrastructure Protection Plan, 2009. http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/NIPP_Plan.pdf.

“Cyber infrastructure includes electronic information and communication systems, and the information contained in these systems. …Information and communications systems are composed of hardware and software that process, store, and communicate data of all types. Processing includes the creation, access, modification, and destruction of information. Storage includes paper, magnetic, electronic, and all other media types. Communications include sharing and distribution of information.”

National Infrastructure Protection Plan (2009, Revised and Updated 2013)