Countering Urban Terrorism in Russia and the United States Proceedings of a Workshop (2006) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Cybersecurity and Urban Terrorism—Vulnerability of the Emergency Responders
Cybersecurity and Urban Terrorism—Vulnerability of the Emergency Responders
Pages 14-24
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 14... ...
Because the emergency responders themselves are crucially dependent on information, a coordinated and well-executed cyberattack could degrade effective emergency response. This cyberthreat causes emergency responders to be at risk from a common tactic used by terrorists -- that is, to amplify a main attack with a supporting attack.
|
From page 15... ...
This critical information includes, but is not limited to, building blueprints and city utility plans, crisis response plans, chemical cleanup procedures, treatments for specific biological or chemical agents, duty rosters and personnel contact information, individual victim medical records, and public announcements. One of the frustrating aspects of emergency preparation is how much detailed situation-specific information becomes critical to operational success.
|
From page 16... ...
Operating out of the agency's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) , the central emergency management decision makers will coordinate the actions of these largely autonomous emergency support functions.
|
From page 17... ...
He was tried as a juvenile in Sweden and fined the equivalent of $345.3 This example demonstrates that the 9-1-1 system in the United States is vulnerable to cyberintrusion. Such an attack could originate from any point on the globe and could effectively cripple the ability of citizens to solicit aid from the emergency responders.
|
From page 18... ...
PREPLANNED AND COORDINATED OPERATIONS The response to an emergency situation will usually take the following form: preplanning, implementation of that plan, and then coordination during execution as adaptations to the plan are made. This sequence of events offers terrorists various opportunities to disrupt smooth operations of emergency responders.
|
From page 19... ...
One of the main sources of vulnerability for emergency response is the highly centralized nature of its command and control apparatus. This gives terrorists one target that, if neutralized by cyberattacks, could greatly hinder the ability of emergency responders to implement an effective response to a physical attack.
|
From page 20... ...
Terrorists may attempt to corrupt critical information at its source using computer worms or entry by a trusted insider or hacker with unauthorized access. In this case, emergency responders would unwittingly acquire incorrect information.
|
From page 21... ...
For example, in any type of chemical or biological attack, emergency management officials will use information from remote meteorological sensors to create a computer plume model that will illustrate the spread of the chemical or biological agent based on wind patterns. Attacking the control programs of these sensors or corrupting the flow of information from the sensors to the EOC could seriously impair this effort.
|
From page 22... ...
Communication between the various autonomous emergency response agencies and with the central emergency management agency is not used as frequently, and it is likely to be more vulnerable during a crisis. As noted in the section on preplanned and coordinated operations, communication between the different agencies on a macroscale will usually be coordinated by a central EOC.
|
From page 23... ...
Misinformation planted at a regional partner agency will be considered trustworthy by the urban emergency management agency. This is a real problem, as many county and local emergency response units do not have the resources to implement the computer security that urban emergency response groups may have.
|
From page 24... ...
It is clear, however, that a well-thought-out cyberattack on emergency responders could significantly amplify the damage resulting from a physical attack. This paper has attempted to identify the salient properties of an emergency response effort, and then examine a few ways in which the emergency response might be impeded by cyberattacks.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.