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ABSTRACT:
Telecommunications infrastructure is critical to national security, public health and safety, and the operation of national systems.This connectivity and reliance on telecommunications infrastructure include controls at electricity generation plants; chemical sensors at water treatment plants and wastewater systems; signals for transportation systems, including road, rail, vessel, and air systems; and financial systems controlling and tracking banking funds and services.More specifically telecommunications connect the nation’s first responders to every individual, business and organizationsby supporting the national 911 system both legacy and next generation.Telecommunications is woven into the fabric of our national critical functions and its security is extremely crucial.
As critical infrastructure becomes increasingly connected and interdependencies between infrastructure systems become increasingly connected owners, operators, and municipalities will face new and unknown vulnerabilities. Telecom is widely used to communicate and store large amounts of sensitive data.At the same time, the telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S. is rapidly undergoing new developments, including the transition to 5G for the cellular network. This is introducing new physical assets and new operational procedures to the provision of telecommunications services across the country. These newer technologies are also continuing to operate in tandem with older systems, assets, and protocols. In this environment, it is critical to be able to comprehensively identify, analyze, manage, and mitigate risk in telecommunications.
CIRI in coordination with its research collaborators (Texas A&M University, Karthik Consulting, Heartland Science and Technology Group, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and New York University) are addressingvulnerabilities in these sectors, intending to usher in a safe and connected community for the future.
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