The
National Emergency Number Association (NENA) officially released the
long-awaited Next-Generation 9-1-1 Security (NG-SEC) standards. These standards
provide the public safety industry’s first comprehensive and robust framework
for securing entities participating in Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1).
The
need for cyber security standards has never been greater as the public safety
industry moves towards an interconnected, IP-enabled, future of NG9-1-1. In the
legacy 9-1-1 environment, PSAPs were, for the most part, not connected
together. These stand alone networks provided some degree of security for
would-be hackers and the like. However, with the advent of NG9-1-1, the need to
interconnect networks of varying security postures becomes a requirement.
However,
to date, no single or comprehensive set of cyber security standards existed in
the public safety space. NENA, having recognized the value of cyber security as
the industry transitions to NG9-1-1, created a working group to create cyber
security standards for the public safety industry. The NG-SEC standard is
the result of a multi-year effort by the Security for Next-Generation 9-1-1
Working Group. This team included a wide variety of industry participants
including technical, operational, PSAP, vendors, telecommunication companies
and more.
L.R.
Kimball, the leader in cyber security for the public safety industry, applauds
NENA’s efforts and recommends that folks currently planning (or about to start)
for NG9-1-1 take a look at this new standard and determine how it can be added
to your plans. It is critical that cyber security be built into the DNA of your
NG9-1-1 efforts and not bolted on at the end.
Jeremy
L. Smith, CISSP
Sr. Cyber Security Consultant