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Volume 22 — Issue 31 | August 4, 2022

Behavioral health resources for first responders from SAMHSA

As those first on the scene to respond to disasters and emergency events, first responders prioritize the safety and well-being of the communities they serve. This often means first responders are facing dangerous and challenging situations, leading to high stress levels and possible development of burnout, compassion fatigue, or unhealthy coping mechanisms.

The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently featured several of its behavioral health resources for first responders. Two of these resources are highlighted here.

SAMHSA’s Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) administers a Responders Resource Portal, which provides resources and training supporting the behavioral health of first responders in a wide variety of disciplines, including disaster management, law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and others. These resources help responders with stress management, burnout, substance abuse, compassion fatigue, and more.

A new podcast, CASAT Conversations, dedicated its entire first season to first responders’ behavioral health issues. Season 1: Behind the Frontline: Supporting the Families of Frontline Staff and First Responders provides educational tips, stress management techniques, and ways to build resilience within the family. This podcast was developed by the CASAT Podcast Network, within the Center for Application & Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT) at the University of Nevada, Reno, with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and support from SAMHSA.

See SAMHSA’s bulletin for a complete list of all featured resources for first responders’ behavioral health.

(Source: SAMHSA)

Highlights

Behavioral health resources for first responders from SAMHSA

DHS S&T first responder technology showcase videos now available

USDA announces $1 billion in new Community Wildfire Defense Grants program, webinars in August

Webinar: Introduction to the Disaster Available Supplies in Hospitals (DASH) Tool

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.

DHS S&T first responder technology showcase videos now available

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently held two Showcase events for first responders:

• The Virtual First Responder Capitol Hill Showcase.
• The DHS SBIR Showcase for First Responders.

DHS S&T’s Virtual First Responder Capitol Hill Showcase took place on April 5 and is now available on demand. This event is an opportunity to learn about how DHS S&T is identifying the capability gaps of first responders across the nation and investing in the research, development, and innovation that will help save responders’ lives and build community safety and resilience.

The Capitol Hill Showcase includes first responder perspectives from guest speakers in law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), firefighting, and other response disciplines who are part of DHS S&T’s First Responder Resource Group (FRRG). The first segment of this Showcase discusses how first responders in the FRRG are helping with current DHS S&T projects such as a wildland firefighter respirator; wearable sensors that detect hazardous environments and vital signs; research on how to protect EMS from highly contagious pathogens; responder location tracking inside structures; and many other projects.

These first responder perspectives on current projects are followed by presentations on what DHS S&T is currently doing in its focus areas for research and development, including counter-unmanned aircraft systems (c-UAS), opioid detection, early warning and detection sensors to mitigate wildfire and in-building risks, and the Response and Defeat Operations Support (REDOPS) program.

The SBIR Showcase for First Responders event was held in March 2022 and featured 10 innovative technologies from companies developing solutions for first responders as part of DHS S&T’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

In the video recordings from this event, SBIR awardees present prototype technology solutions with the potential to meet a broad range of first responders’ capability needs, such as detection and tracking of drone threats in urban environments; reliable emergency communications devices, especially in indoor environments; cybersecurity of responders’ communications devices; wearable sensors for toxic gas and other chemical detection; and more.

All video recordings from both Showcases are now available on DHS S&T’s website and YouTube channel.

(Sources: DHS S&T Capitol Hill Showcase, DHS S&T SBIR Showcase)

USDA announces $1 billion in new Community Wildfire Defense Grants program, webinars in August

On July 26, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of a new $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program. This new, five-year, competitive program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is designed to assist at-risk communities, including Tribal communities, non-profit organizations, state forestry agencies and Alaska Native corporations with planning for and mitigating wildfire risks.

The new program will help communities in the wildland urban interface (WUI) meet the three goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy to maintain resilient landscapes, create fire-adapted communities and improve wildfire response. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also included language to ensure the program prioritizes communities that have a high or very high wildfire hazard potential, are low income, or have been impacted by a severe disaster.

Informational webinars on the Community Wildfire Defense Grants will be held in August:

• Northeast-Midwest States: Thursday, August 4 at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
• Western States and Territories: Monday, August 8 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
• Southern States: Tuesday, August 9 at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
• Tribes: Tuesday, August 9 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

These webinars will be offered via the USDA Forest Service’s Wildland Fire Learning Portal. To attend a webinar, follow the Registration Instructions to set-up an account in the Portal.

To learn more about the new CWDG grants and access the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), instructions on how to apply and webinar information, visit the USDA Forest Service’s CWDG page.

(Source: USDA)

Webinar: Introduction to the Disaster Available Supplies in Hospitals (DASH) Tool

Hospitals deal with stressed supply chains every day. Just-in-time inventory is common, and hospitals run the risk of not having enough supplies when a disaster strikes.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE) and Healthcare Ready developed the Disaster Available Supplies in Hospitals (DASH) tool in collaboration with the Health Industry Distributors Association, the Region VII Disaster Health Response Ecosystem, and other subject matter experts to address this challenge.

DASH is an online, interactive tool for hospital emergency planners and supply chain staff to estimate supplies that may need to be immediately available during various emergencies based on their hospital’s characteristics.

ASPR TRACIE will host a webinar on Monday, August 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT, providing an overview and demonstration of DASH. Speakers will share information on how DASH may be used from both the hospital and supply chain perspective.

The target audience for this webinar includes hospitals, healthcare coalitions, emergency management agencies, supply chain partners, and public health agencies.

To learn more and register for this free webinar, see ASPR TRACIE’s webinar flyer. Advanced registration is required. The webinar will be recorded and posted to ASPR TRACIE’s website following the event.

(Source: ASPR TRACIE)

Cyber Incident Assistance

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

IdentityTheft.gov

IC3

Cybercrime Support Network

General Information

StopRansomware.gov

CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

FTC scam list

CISA alerts

Law Enforcement Cyber Center

TLP Information

NIST revises cybersecurity guidelines specifically for HIPAA

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) updated its guidance on how healthcare organizations and companies can protect their patients’ data security through new cybersecurity recommendations.

Published on Thursday, July 21, the new cybersecurity draft resource guide specifically works to help agencies comply with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Security Rule that stipulates the need to protect sensitive health data. Patient data confidentiality, availability and integrity are emphasized in the recommended implementation guidance.

The areas of coverage both HIPAA and NIST seek to safeguard fall within electronic protected health information, known as ePHI. Enhanced cybersecurity measures can help further protect ePHI-covered patient details such as prescription records, lab test results, vaccination records and hospital visit logs.

NIST will accept comments on the updated draft publication regarding HIPAA’s Security Rule until September 21.

(Source: FCW)

Dahua IP camera vulnerability could let attackers take full control over devices

Details have been shared about a security vulnerability in Dahua's Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF) standard implementation, which, when exploited, can lead to seizing control of IP cameras.

Tracked as CVE-2022-30563 (CVSS score: 7.4), the "vulnerability could be abused by attackers to compromise network cameras by sniffing a previous unencrypted ONVIF interaction and replaying the credentials in a new request towards the camera," Nozomi Networks said in a Thursday report.

(Source: The Hacker News)

CNN Exclusive: FBI investigation determined Chinese-made Huawei equipment could disrupt US nuclear arsenal communications

Since at least 2017, federal officials have investigated Chinese land purchases near critical infrastructure, shut down a high-profile regional consulate believed by the US government to be a hotbed of Chinese spies and stonewalled what they saw as clear efforts to plant listening devices near sensitive military and government facilities. 

Among the most alarming things the FBI uncovered pertains to Chinese-made Huawei equipment atop cell towers near US military bases in the rural Midwest. According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the FBI determined the equipment was capable of capturing and disrupting highly restricted Defense Department communications, including those used by US Strategic Command, which oversees the country's nuclear weapons.

While broad concerns about Huawei equipment near US military installations have been well known, the existence of this investigation and its findings have never been reported. 

Read the full CNN Exclusive on CNN’s website.

(Source: CNN)

Cyber Insurance: Action Needed to Assess Potential Federal Response to Catastrophic Attacks

Cyber insurance can help offset costs of some common cyber risks, like data breaches or ransomware. But cyber risks are growing and cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure—like utilities or financial services—could affect entire systems and result in catastrophic financial loss.

Cyber insurance and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP)—the government backstop for losses from terrorism—are both limited in their ability to cover potentially catastrophic losses from systemic cyberattacks, and private insurers have been taking steps to limit their potential losses from systemic cyber events.

The Department of the Treasury's Federal Insurance Office (FIO) and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) both have taken steps to understand the financial implications of growing cybersecurity risks. However, they have not assessed the extent to which risks to critical infrastructure from catastrophic cyber incidents and potential financial exposures warrant a federal insurance response.

CISA and FIO should jointly assess the extent to which risks to critical infrastructure from catastrophic cyber incidents and potential financial exposures warrant a federal insurance response and inform Congress of the results of their assessment.

Read the full report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

(Source: GAO)

Spain arrests suspected hackers who sabotaged radiation alert system

The Spanish police have announced the arrest of two hackers believed to be responsible for cyberattacks on the country's radioactivity alert network (RAR), which took place between March and June 2021.

The two arrested individuals are former workers of a company contracted by the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies (DGPGE) to maintain the RAR system, so they had a deep knowledge of its operation and how to deliver an effective cyberattack.

Spain operates seven nuclear reactors in six power plants in Cáceres, Tarragona, Valencia, Guadalajara, Salamanca, and Córdoba, covering roughly 20% of its national power needs with the program. The role of the RAR system is to detect sudden rises in radioactivity levels and raise the alarm to help the authorities take protection measures, detect, and remediate the problem.

(Source: Bleeping Computer)

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.

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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.

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