Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Apr 14, 2019
Open Peer Review Period: Apr 14, 2019 - May 8, 2019
Date Accepted: May 21, 2019
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Title: Hacking 9-1-1: infrastructure vulnerabilities and attack vectors
ABSTRACT
Background:
9-1-1 call centers are a critical component of prehospital care: they accept emergency calls, dispatch field responders such as EMS units, and provide callers with emergency medical instructions prior to their arrival.
Objective:
We aim to describe the technical structure of the 9-1-1 call taking system and describe its vulnerabilities that could lead to compromised patient care.
Methods:
9-1-1 calls answered from mobile phones and land lines use a variety of technologies to provide information about caller location and other information. These interconnected technologies create potential cyber vulnerabilities.
Results:
A variety of attacks could be carried out on 9-1-1 infrastructure to various ends. Attackers could target individuals, groups, or entire municipalities. These attacks could result in anything from a nuisance, to increased loss of life in a physical attack, to worse overall outcomes due to delays in care for time sensitive conditions.
Conclusions:
Evolving 9-1-1 systems are increasingly connected and dependent on network technology. As implications of cybersecurity vulnerabilities loom large, future research should examine methods of hardening the 9-1-1 system against attack.
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