Image: N.C. 911 Board Executive Director Pokey Harris speaks at a cybersecurity tabletop exercise in Durham on May 18, 2023.
The N.C. 911 Board is focusing on increasing cybersecurity awareness for public safety answering points (PSAPs), commonly called 911 call centers, across the state. The board is hosting a series of cybersecurity exercises for managers and staff at PSAPs and the IT staff who support them.
The exercises led by the N.C. 911 Board, U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, N.C. Joint Cybersecurity Task Force and N.C. Emergency Management cover cybersecurity best practices, roles, responsibilities and training for PSAPs. The first three sessions were held in Jacksonville and Durham in May and in Pittsboro in June. The fourth will be held in Boone in July.
In the exercises, representatives from three North Carolina PSAPs describe their real-world experiences of compromise incidents and the lessons learned from their responses. Trainers then lead the participants through a discussion of their own experiences, preparations and opportunities for improvements in cybersecurity.
PSAP staff have shared cybersecurity best practices:
- Implementing the recommendations in their vulnerability assessments that were provided by the N.C. 911 Board as part of its cybersecurity initiative
- Establishing relationships with county and state agencies for support before emergencies occur
- Using the resources of the Joint Cybersecurity Task Force and other state and federal partners
- Having printed copies of emergency response plans as back-ups
- Continual training in manual dispatch of 911 calls