Kimball to Launch 9-1-1 Cyber Security Practice and Services Offering

EBENSBURG, Pa., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- L. Robert Kimball & Associates today announced the launch of its vendor-neutral, 9-1-1 centric cyber security practice and service for public safety agencies. Public safety agencies are advancing their services and are increasingly adopting Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) systems. These systems are being built on IP-enabled, broadband backbones to enable local public safety departments to interconnect with other local, regional, state and/or federal agencies. This interconnection will allow these agencies to increase the types of data that can be transmitted to and from first responders and significantly enhances the effectiveness of their ability to understand and respond during an emergency.

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Until recently, most public safety agencies consisted of standalone 9-1-1 systems. However, with NG9-1-1, while the benefits are obvious, because it broadly interconnects public safety agencies, systems are becoming more susceptible to viruses, hackers, denials of service and other intrusions that can disrupt emergency operations. Kimball's cyber security services are designed to help make certain that NG9-1-1 systems become secure and remain secure.

"Next Generation 9-1-1 will revolutionize public safety, and its benefits far outweigh any risks. But now that they are becoming part of a larger, much more complex network, public safety agencies need to take a long, hard look at their cyber security plans," said Kimball Senior Vice President Joel McCamley.

Kimball's cyber security service provides a wide range of offerings that every public safety agency should consider for its network to become and remain secure. These include:

• Vulnerability assessments
• Penetration testing
• Cyber Security Roadmap & Planning
• Security architecture planning/consulting
• National Emergency Number Association (NENA) security for Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG-SEC) audits and planning for PSAPs and vendors
  

• VoIP security
• Security policies (writing/revamping)
• Security software/hardware selection/installation
• Staffing augmentation
• Managed security services
  

These services will be especially valuable to agencies now that the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) is about to release security standards for Next Generation 9-1-1 systems. Two members of Kimball's leadership team are actively engaged in the development of the standards: Jeremy L. Smith, a CISSP and a senior cyber security consultant for Kimball, and Kimball Technical Specialist Gordon Vanauken, serve as co-chair of the NENA working group that is developing the standards.

Kimball's Communications Technology service group has helped to build, design and provide implementation oversight for more Next-Generation 9-1-1 systems than any other provider and also understands how to secure them. Public safety IT systems have requirements that often are very different from those of corporate IT systems. For example, 9-1-1 systems should not be automatically rebooted after an upgrade or patch, because emergency calls might be interrupted. Kimball's expansive and diverse public safety knowledge allows it to provide innovative solutions specifically designed for the public safety agency.

The most popular Kimball offering for public safety agencies is expected to be its vulnerability assessments. Using specialized software and without intruding or interfering with emergency services, Kimball scans the 9-1-1 network to identify vulnerabilities based on known issues. Those weak points are compiled into a report that Kimball uses as the foundation for creating a cyber security "roadmap."

Details on Kimball's cyber security services will be offered in a webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. EST and Monday, Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. EST. Public safety and other community officials can register for the Webinar by visiting www.kimballcorp.com/cybersecurity and will have the opportunity to obtain answers to their questions about Kimball's services during the session.

About L. Robert Kimball & Associates

Established in 1953, L. Robert Kimball & Associates is among the nation's leading professional service companies offering its clients architectural and engineering design services, civil, environmental and transportation engineering expertise, public safety consulting and communications technology solutions. Kimball is committed to offering its diverse public and private-sector clients a tailored approach designed to meet their needs and budget. Headquartered in Ebensburg, Pa., the company has 12 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. www.kimballcorp.com.

SOURCE L. Robert Kimball & Associates