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Volume 21 — Issue 5 | February 4, 2021

February is American Heart Month, a time to promote heart health for firefighters

This February, the United States commemorates its 57^th consecutive American Heart Month. This month is an opportunity for the nation to promote awareness about heart disease and ways to adopt healthier lifestyles.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading cause of death across the nation is cardiovascular disease (CVD). The American Heart Association reminds everyone that focusing on your heart health has never been more important, since people with poor cardiovascular health are also at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

The concern for heart health is especially relevant to the fire and emergency medical services. According to the United States Fire Administration’s annual report on Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2019, the leading cause of fatal injury was stress or overexertion, a general category that includes all firefighter deaths that are cardiac or cerebrovascular in nature, such as heart attacks and strokes. Over half of firefighter fatalities in 2019 were cardiac or cerebrovascular in nature.

To reduce the number of on-duty cardiovascular deaths among United States firefighters, prevention is the best medicine. NIOSH recommends that fire departments and fire fighters follow established medical screening guidelines, adopt risk reduction measures during firefighting operations, and develop and participate in comprehensive wellness and fitness programs.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides a toolkit with free resources to help with community outreach.  The CDC has a number of resources for public health professionals promoting awareness and prevention efforts.

(Source: USFA)

Highlights

February is American Heart Month, a time to promote heart health for firefighters

FEMA’s COVID-19 response continues with support for vaccine distribution

DHS S&T’s Technology Clearinghouse Pathways to Innovation Learning Series (PILS) is back!

Cyber Threats

The U.S. Fire Administration operates the Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC).

For information regarding the EMR-ISAC visit www.usfa.dhs.gov/emr-isac or contact the EMR-ISAC office at: (301) 447-1325 and/or fema-emr-isac@fema.dhs.gov.

FEMA’s COVID-19 response continues with support for vaccine distribution

As COVID-19 vaccine doses have begun to ship throughout the United States, the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker now reports vaccine distribution and administration data. As of February 3, 2021, the data shows about 60 percent (33.9 million) of the 55.9 million vaccine doses distributed so far have been administered.

States, tribes and territories are now facing the formidable logistics and costs of vaccine distribution and administration. As vaccine shipments are expedited, the challenge will be efficient delivery and tracking of available vaccines. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will play a vital role in supporting states, tribes and territories with this effort.

FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worked in close coordination throughout 2020, after the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 was declared in January 2020, and a nationwide emergency was declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act in March 2020.

In January 2021, one year after the PHE was declared, FEMA released an Initial Assessment Report, a retrospective on their roles, responsibilities and COVID-19 response operations in 2020. Response operations included the activation of the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) in March 2020, and coordination with the private sector on distribution of billions of pieces of equipment and supplies.

In preparation for the first vaccine shipments, FEMA released its COVID-19 Vaccination Planning FAQ, intended to assist governments with their vaccine distribution efforts and reimbursements for associated costs.

Since the new Presidential Administration released its National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, FEMA is continuing to support the White House COVID-19 Response Plan by helping to identify and fill resource gaps, using federal funding to accelerate state vaccination efforts and working to establish vaccine sites. In a January 25 press release, FEMA stated it has established a new Interagency Vaccination Task Force in FEMA’s NRCC and is deploying FEMA staff to vaccination sites in support of state requests.  This new task force is developing data dashboards to track personnel movement and vaccine distribution. FEMA will also retroactively reimburse states for 100 percent of their costs for eligible emergency protective measures.

FEMA has created a Vaccine Support page, consolidating all current information and resources relating to its support for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration.

(Source: FEMA)

DHS S&T’s Technology Clearinghouse Pathways to Innovation Learning Series (PILS) is back!

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), through its online Technology Clearinghouse, provides the homeland security community with curated information to aid in the development, procurement and deployment of innovative technology solutions to address homeland security challenges. The Technology Clearinghouse, mandated by Congress, provides authoritative and actional information on technology requirements and gaps, technology scouting activities, testing and evaluation findings and funding opportunities.

In FY2021, the Technology Clearinghouse is excited to again partner with subject matter experts throughout the technology community to bring back last year’s Pathways to Innovation Learning Series (PILS) presentations, which can be found on the Technology Clearinghouse website. PILS promotes collaboration, open discussion and networking opportunities for DHS, federal agencies, first responders and the broader homeland security community.

PILS provides informative webinars designed to facilitate dialog between the science and technology and operational community to share and provide relevant information on current requirements, advancements and applications of innovative technologies.

The goal is to educate and connect the audience with resources they need to assist with making decisions around research and development, standards, testing, evaluations and transition of innovative technology solutions. Topics are generated and based on inquires or requests S&T receives from DHS, DHS Components and federal, state and local first responders. This year’s topics include:

• Smart Cities: Integrating IoT Devices to Help First Responders Save Lives.
• Big Data: The Next Generation Capabilities.
• Emerging Threats in Cybersecurity.
• Advancements in Interoperability of Real-Time Public Safety Data: Challenges and Possible Future States.
• Terrorism Prevention.
• Natural Disaster Response and Recovery.

The first presentation, “The Territorial Impact of COVID-19: Managing the Crisis Across Levels of Homeland Security Community” is slated for February 24 at 1 p.m. EST. For more information or to participate, contact DHS S&T’s Technology Clearinghouse at sandt_techclearinghouse@hq.dhs.gov or Giavonna.harrismorgan@associates.hq.dhs.gov.

(Source: DHS S&T Technology Clearinghouse)

Cyber Information and Incident Assistance Links

MS-ISAC
SOC@cisecurity.org
1-866-787-4722

IdentityTheft.gov

IC3

Cybercrime Support Network

General Information
Links

FTC scam list

CISA alerts

Law Enforcement Cyber Center

TLP Information

Suspected Chinese hackers used SolarWinds bug to spy on U.S. payroll agency

Five sources familiar with the incident have reported that suspected Chinese hackers exploited a flaw in SolarWinds software last year, using the vulnerability to break into United States government computers. Two individuals briefed on the case claim that FBI investigators discovered that the National Finance Center, a federal payroll agency, was among the infected organizations. This has created fear that financial data on thousands of government employees may have been compromised.

The software flaw allegedly exploited by Chinese hackers is different from the method in which the Russian government operatives utilized. Security researchers have indicated that a second group of hackers was abusing SolarWinds’ software at the same time as the Russian hack, however, the suspected China connection has not been previously reported.

(Source: OODA Loop)

Multiple Vulnerabilities in Google Android OS Could Allow for Remote Code Execution

An MS-ISAC Advisory warns that multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in the Google Android operating system (OS), the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution. Android is an operating system developed by Google for mobile devices, including, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets and watches.

Recommended actions include:

• Apply appropriate updates by Google Android or mobile carriers to vulnerable systems, immediately after appropriate testing.
• Remind users to only download applications from trusted vendors in the Play Store.
• Remind users not to visit un-trusted websites or follow links provided by unknown or un-trusted sources.
• Inform and educate users regarding threats posed by hypertext links contained in emails or attachments, especially from un-trusted sources.

(Source: Cisecurity.org)

loT Security Picks Up Momentum

Through the vulnerable Internet of Things (IoT), botnets and zombies can take out not only one system, but entire markets. For instance, in 2016 the Mirai botnet attack on more than half a million unsecured IoT devices around the world flooded DNS infrastructure with traffic, making many websites temporarily inaccessible.

Vulnerabilities in IoT devices doubled between 2013 and 2019. A study found that the number of attacks between January and June 2019 was 12 times higher than the same period in 2018. The largest share of attack traffic -760 million events – targeted the Telnet protocol that IoT devices use.

A solution is to use a ROI-driven approach to secure the IoT markets one by one and to add TCP/IP to IoT communication protocols or “thing” identity management and gateway-level protection for lower power computing devices. That’s where standards and regulations will help. The International Organization for Standardization and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have already offered frameworks, and Congress passed the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act in December 2020.

(Source: GCN)

Six Simple Tips for Securing IoT Devices

The Center for Internet Security offers six tips to secure loT Devices.

1. Security Monitoring Systems: Investigate the strength of a security monitoring system’s security mechanisms before purchasing. When installing, be sure to change the default password to something unique and complex. A security system with default passwords isn’t very secure at all.
2. Connected Kitchen Devices: Never connect a “smart” gadget to your other personal devices that have sensitive information.
3. Laptops and Tablets: Anytime you receive a new personal laptop or tablet, ensure your default user account is non-administrative. Use caution before installing new software applications. Ensure any applications you install are from a trusted source.
4. Home Assistants: Consider changing the nickname on your home assistant from the pre-installed default to something only you and your family know.
5. Gaming Devices and Drones: Protect sensitive credit card information by never saving it onto a console or within a mobile gaming application. Be sure to update your drone with the latest security patches before flying and change the default password.
6. Bluetooth Headphones and Phone Accessories: Stay secure by only connecting accessories to devices you know. Never store personal information on a Bluetooth or wi-fi enabled smart accessory.

(Source: CIsecurity.org)

The InfoGram is distributed weekly to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures.

Fair Use Notice:
This InfoGram may contain copyrighted material that was not specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The EMR-ISAC believes this constitutes “fair use” of copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use copyrighted material contained within this document for your own purposes that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Disclaimer of Endorsement:
The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement of the linked websites or the information, products or services contained therein. Reference to any specific commercial products, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the EMR-ISAC or the U.S. government.