Almost every emergency response begins with a call to 911, and states have begun the process of modernizing the current outdated call-center answering infrastructure with a digital upgrade. NextGen 911 (NG911) is the modernization initiative states are implementing to better facilitate emergency response.

In the NG911 environment, the large telecom companies in charge of maintaining the 911 answering system (AT&T and Motorola) computerize the process, routing calls through an emergency services IP network (ESInet) instead of the currently used call centers. Ideally, computerizing the system reduces the likelihood that calls will go unanswered, either because a system is inundated with too much incoming network traffic or because the resources are not available to handle the calls. But defending a computerized system against cyberattacks is no simple task… READ MORE