FirstNet Team Issues List of Cyber Concerns

A proposed broadband network for the nation's public-safety professionals must be robust against intrusions -- but not so much it prevents those professionals from accessing it in emergencies, according to a new notice from FirstNet, the federal group planning it.

This is one of several requirements for the system's cyber protection, according to a new notice issued by FirstNet, an authority within the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Others include online and offline device monitoring, a strong identity access management system, and support for wearable devices in the era of "bring your own" technology. Against the backdrop of the recent Office of Personnel Management hack, which exposed personal information from more than 20 million people, "a cybersecurity solution that establishes a secure network at the cost of delays or needless hindrances is not workable, and neither is a solution that permits immediate access but fails to adequately secure data," the notice said.