Security Analysis of First Responder Mobile and Wearable Devices

Franklin, Joshua; Howell, Gema; Ledgerwood, Scott; Griffith, Jaydee

doi:https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8196-draft

NISTIR 8196 (Draft)

Obsoleted on May 11, 2020 by NISTIR 8196.

Security Analysis of First Responder Mobile and Wearable Devices

Date Published: December 2018
Comments Due: February 6, 2019 (public comment period is CLOSED)
Email Questions to: nistir-8196-comments@nist.gov

Planning Note (12/18/2018): The comment closing date has been extended to February 6, 2019 (originally Jan. 7th).

Author(s)

Joshua Franklin (NIST), Gema Howell (NIST), Scott Ledgerwood (NIST), Jaydee Griffith (NTIA)

Announcement

With the upcoming public safety broadband networks (PSBNs), mobile and wearable devices will become ideal options for first responders (firefighters, law enforcement and EMS). These devices will provide many benefits to first responders, such as quality communication on a dedicated network and the ability to send vital information necessary to achieve success during an emergency incident. As an effort through the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division, Draft NISTIR 8196, Security Analysis of First Responder Mobile and Wearable Devices, reviews the current and potential use cases of these mobile and wearable devices by first responders and then analyzes these devices from a cybersecurity perspective. Ultimately, the goal of this analysis is to identify security objectives for mobile and wearable devices to assist jurisdictions with selecting secure devices and enable industry to design and produce securer public safety devices.

Abstract

Public safety practitioners utilizing the forthcoming Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) will have smartphones, tablets, and wearables at their disposal. Although these devices should enable first responders to complete their missions, any influx of new technologies will introduce new security vulnerabilities. This document analyzes the needs of public safety mobile devices and wearables from a cybersecurity perspective, specifically for the fire service, emergency medical service (EMS), and law enforcement. To accomplish this goal, cybersecurity use cases were analyzed, previously known attacks against related systems were reviewed, and a threat model was created. The overarching goal of this work is to identify security objectives for these devices, enabling jurisdictions to more easily select and purchase secure devices and industry to design and build more secure public safety devices.

Keywords

cybersecurity; first responders; internet of things; IoT; mobile security; public safety; wearables

Control Families

None selected

Documentation

Publication:
NISTIR 8196 (Draft) (DOI)
Local Download

Supplemental Material:
Security Research Portfolio (from NIST's Public Safety Communications Research Division) (other)

Document History:
12/03/18: NISTIR 8196 (Draft)
05/11/20: NISTIR 8196 (Final)

Topics

Security and Privacy
general security & privacy

Technologies
mobile; networks; sensors

Sectors
public safety