Are Fire Departments Prepared for a Cyberattack?

Fire departments are critical infrastructure — people’s lives and property depend on their continuous functioning. As such, they should have the latest and greatest security measures. However, most of them aren’t as prepared for a cyberattack as they should be.

Are Fire Departments Vulnerable to Cyberattacks?

Most fire departments are incredibly susceptible to cyberattacks. Their extensive use of digital and internet-connected devices puts them at risk for network intrusions, data breaches and malware installation. In fact, thousands of safety systems have critical vulnerabilities that threat actors can exploit — they can target everything from fire alarms to computer-aided dispatch programs.

A fire department is vital to local infrastructure, making it a prime target. Although its status doesn’t necessarily make it more vulnerable, it increases the likelihood of a cybersecurity incident. Since the adoption of modern, interconnected technology has accelerated cyberattack rates in recent years, proper cyber defenses are crucial.

Do Fire Departments Have Strong Cyber Defenses?

For the most part, fire departments don’t have strong cyber defenses. Many don’t have adequate security measures or incident responses in place. Most of their vulnerabilities come from relatively new and rapidly advancing technology, so preparing for every new attack scenario can be challenging.

Although targeted attacks on local government infrastructure have made many departments reconsider their cybersecurity, many need more support to properly follow through. A flood of 2022 mergers and acquisitions affected over 10,000 public safety agencies in the United States, significantly weakening their carefully constructed workflows.

What Are Their Biggest Cybersecurity Threats?

Ransomware, social engineering and the Internet of Things (IoT) are fire departments' biggest cybersecurity threats. Since they require different security measures and incident responses, it can be challenging to protect against each of them. Their status and tools are the reason behind most of these situations.

Threat actors know the chance of a successful ransomware payout increases when they hold a critical operation hostage, making it an appealing target. Also, fire departments typically have some level of access to their city’s general fund, reassuring them their request is reasonable.

Social engineering is like an advanced form of phishing where an attacker deceives someone through complex preparation. They usually pretend to be a real person an employee would know and act like their demands are legitimate and urgent. People often fall for it, giving up login credentials or confidential information.

Almost every facility uses IoT devices daily. For instance, most fire and life safety systems have a constant internet connection. Since they’re relatively exposed, hackers can easily find and tamper with them. They can even move laterally through a network to carry out more damaging attacks if they're knowledgeable enough.

What Happens When a Cyberattack Is Successful?

When a cyberattack on a fire department is successful, most critical systems typically malfunction or cease to work. Attackers usually aim to cause severe disruptions or secure a payment to relinquish control. In both cases, they attempt to ground operations to a halt.

For example, a 2023 ransomware attack affected Dallas fire rescue professionals so significantly that they missed emergency calls entirely and immediately experienced sluggish response times. Also, since operators couldn’t inform them of potential threats in real time, they risked entering a hazardous situation unaware of its severity.

Since their daily routines and emergency responses relied on vulnerable digital systems, a cyberattack brought their operations to a standstill. Ultimately, the city’s infrastructure damage was much more severe than it should have been — which is the point. Facilities face extreme pressure to pay the ransom when civilian and firefighter lives are at risk.

How Can Fire Departments Improve Their Cybersecurity?

Fire departments can improve their cybersecurity posture if they minimize their vulnerabilities, leverage security tools and follow cybersecurity best practices.

1. Create Manual Backups

People must consider how often ransomware targets fire departments. Even when victims comply with the attacker’s demands, the outcome is rarely favorable. Only 4% of victims regain their data after paying the ransom. They must create backups to prevent scenarios like this from occurring.

Fire departments can copy or back up almost every digital system they rely on. For example, they can print physical copies of the schedule, receive real-time reports over the phone or get dispatch to utilize a manual status board. Backups give them immediate solutions if a cyberattack is successful.

2. Configure Perimeter Defense

Perimeter security measures are a facility’s first line of defense, so they’re incredibly important. They are essential for keeping threat actors away from critical systems. Fire departments should pay close attention to where devices like fire alarms connect to external networks or exchange data, as these areas are particularly weak intrusion points.

They should utilize firewalls to prevent malicious individuals from deploying a cyberattack. Additionally, they should configure user authentication tools to ensure everyone using their systems is an employee. It can help them immediately recognize any external access attempts as a cyberattack in progress.

3. Secure Vulnerabilities

As of 2023, there are over 15 billion IoT devices worldwide. If their growth continues at its current rate, their number could reach 50 billion by 2050. Most are highly susceptible to attacks, but despite their security flaws, fire departments use them extensively.

Public safety agencies can only improve their cybersecurity posture if they fix their weaknesses. Network segmentation, multifactor authentication and identity verification are crucial to cyberattack mitigation. If they aren’t aware of what they need to address, they can conduct penetration testing or vulnerability scans to find areas of improvement.

4. Establish Department Policies

Security tools are only effective if people properly utilize them. Senior professionals should establish clear department policies to ensure everyone follows cybersecurity best practices. For example, they could require routine password changes, install privilege limitations or schedule system updates. The chances of a cyberattack shrink if everyone complies.

5. Conduct Employee Training

Unfortunately, fire departments can likely trace most cyberattacks back to their employees. Human error is responsible for around 95% of cybersecurity incidents on average. They must train their employees if they plan to improve their cybersecurity posture.

Facilities should teach firefighters how to detect suspicious and malicious activity. If they recognize it, they can reduce the time between the cyberattack’s onset and their incident response. Also, they should know how to respond and who to inform about a potential threat.

Fire Departments Must Prepare

Most fire departments aren’t prepared for a cyberattack, so they must do everything possible to enhance their security measures. With cybersecurity incidents and system vulnerabilities on the rise, immediate action is more important than ever. Protecting themselves from hackers helps them to properly serve people in need.