Every day, more than 90 Americans die after overdosing on opioids.  The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. 

~National Institute on Drug Abuse

The Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) is a free tool developed by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, providing real-time overdose surveillance data across jurisdictions to support public safety and public health efforts to mobilize an immediate response to an overdose spike.  ODMap can be used in the field on any mobile device or data terminal connected to an agency’s computer-aided dispatch system, providing the ability to upload data and view the map in actual time. 

Additional information on ODMAP and training is available on the HIDTA website.  Also, on January 10, 2018, the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP) hosted a webinar exploring ODMAP.  

Cybersecurity technology is changing at a disruptive speed and today, that rate of change is likely the slowest it will be in our lifetime. This visionary approach to cybersecurity underscores our commitment to encouraging innovation and developing a deep talent pool ready to establish Georgia as the safest state in the nation for today’s leaders in technology.

~Georgia Governor Nathan Deal

The Hull McKnight Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center will offer the ability to leverage state resources such as research, infrastructure, and training with private industry to advance cybersecurity efforts. The facility will house one of the few state-owned cyber ranges in the nation.  The center’s capabilities will include interactive, simulated representations of networks, systems, tools, and applications. The facility will be unique in offering sensitive, compartmented information facility (SCIF) space for sensitive information, training and education, and incubator space for Georgia’s start-ups.  The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's new Cyber Crime Unit will be headquartered at the center, ensuring a closer alliance among state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies working to address cybercrime.  The center will enhance cybersecurity in both the public and private sectors and serve as an incubator for start-up cybersecurity companies. It will also focus on research and development, tapping into the assets of Georgia's research institutions.  The center is scheduled to open in July 2018.

Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) help critical infrastructure owners and operators protect their facilities, personnel and customers from cyber and physical security threats and other hazards. ISACs collect, analyze and disseminate actionable threat information to their members and provide members with tools to mitigate risks and enhance resiliency.

ISACs collaborate and coordinate with each other via the National Council of ISACs (NCI).  Formed in 2003, the NCI today comprises 24 organizations designated by their sectors as their information sharing and operational arms.  The NCI is a true cross-sector partnership, providing a forum for sharing cyberthreats, physical threats, and mitigation strategies among ISACs and with government and private sector partners during both steady-state conditions and incidents requiring cross-sector response. 

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) is a focal point for cyberthreat protection, response, and recovery for the nation’s State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) governments. The MS-ISAC’s 24x7 cybersecurity operations center provides real-time network monitoring, early cyberthreat warnings and advisories, vulnerability identification, and mitigation and incident response services. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated the MS-ISAC as its key cybersecurity resource for SLTTs, including chief information security officers, homeland security advisors, and fusion center directors. The MS-ISAC membership is open to all SLTT government entities.  Additional information on the other member ISACs is available on the ISAC website. 

The consequences of mobile application (app) vulnerabilities are especially critical when the apps are intended for public safety or emergency response.

Consumers and businesses rely on mobile devices and mobile apps for daily communications, consumption of news and information, and delivery of services.  In emergency and disaster situations, mobile devices and mobile apps enable first responders and public safety professionals to receive and share critical information in real time, enabling delivery of lifesaving services.  However, as our reliance on mobile technology continues to increase, mobile apps have become the new target for cyberattacks using malware, ransomware, spyware, and app coding vulnerabilities that may expose personal data, drain the device’s battery, compromise the security of the device altogether, or provide fraudulent information resulting in the disruption of time-critical services. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate recently released the report Securing Mobile Applications for First Responders, which describes a mobile app pilot testing program designed to serve a public safety purpose.  The research team collaborated to identify security vulnerabilities and privacy issues important for public safety users and to recruit app developers to participate in testing and evaluation.  This report describes findings from the testing, feedback from the developers who participated in the pilot, technical and program-level lessons learned, and recommended next steps.

The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorists.  The threat is incredibly serious—and growing. Cyber intrusions are becoming more commonplace, more dangerous, and more sophisticated. Our nation’s critical infrastructure, including both private and public sector networks, are targeted by adversaries.

As a means to share information with organizations to help protect against technology-related threats, primarily cyber-related, the Portland, Oregon, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Office publishes a weekly FBI Tech Tuesday newsletter.  Each edition focuses on building a defense against technology-related threats, such as ransomware targeting businesses and scams targeting the deceased.