Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) stand on the front lines of a new digital landscape. Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) empowers communities with crucial data sharing and enhanced communication, but this connectivity opens the door to sophisticated threats. The reality is stark: ransomware, telephone denial-of-service (TDoS) and swatting are not hypothetical scenarios — they are cyber threats facing agencies today.
The urgency for cybersecurity protection is made clear by these facts:
- There has been a 150 percent increase in cyberattacks that completely shut down emergency communications in 2024.
- 75 percent of cyberattacks on PSAPs originate from connected systems or networks that were compromised first.
- 100 percent of observed 2024 cyberattacks against PSAPs involved ransomware.
Knowing the stakes are so high, Milwaukee County’s Office of Emergency Management decided to strengthen their defenses. To do so, they implemented Motorola Solutions’ Managed Detection and Response (MDR), a comprehensive cybersecurity service for proactive protection.
Serving over 900,563 people, Milwaukee’s Office of Emergency Management takes approximately 67,000 9-1-1 calls annually. Combined with admin calls, the County processes more than 200,000 calls a year.
Peace of mind — the ultimate system upgrade
We recently spoke with Milwaukee County leadership to get their thoughts on the cybersecurity challenges that 9-1-1 call centers are facing and the outcomes they’ve seen since implementing MDR. For Kinnyetta Patterson, the 9-1-1 Division Director for Milwaukee County, and Teresa Breyer, the Radio Services Director for Milwaukee County, the MDR solution provides essential “peace of mind”.
Kinnyetta says the primary motivation to adopt the MDR solution was to protect the county’s 9-1-1 operations, particularly their VESTA 9-1-1 emergency call handling software. The decision was driven in part by past incidents, including AI-driven prank calls and swatting calls.
Kinnyetta explains, “I feel fully protected and don’t have to think about it. I can focus on my day-to-day responsibilities, including daily staffing concerns.”
Teresa highlighted that cybersecurity protection is crucial because the radio system is also IT-based and susceptible to cyberattacks. She says, “Knowing we have the extra security on our radio system gives everyone peace of mind that the risk of something happening to our public safety network is significantly reduced.”
When asked what she was most proud of, Teresa noted that Milwaukee County is willing to be among the “first to seek new directions and technologies for our PSAPs”.
Kinnyetta shared this sentiment, expressing pride in the county’s forward-thinking approach. Both directors agree that investing in cybersecurity services is a “must,” especially as the public safety environment continues its shift to IT-based systems.
Remove the blind spots with human expertise
The county’s IT department manages the implementation and daily operation of MDR.
Andy Carrion, the Public Safety Business Development Analyst at Milwaukee County, manages the operational details of the MDR solution. He and the Information Management Services Division (IMSD) team review the solution daily. Christopher McGowan, the Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Management, was directly involved in purchasing the MDR service and developing the county’s cybersecurity strategy.
When asked about the benefits of MDR, Andy and Christopher noted that around-the-clock coverage ensures they have no blind spots, even during weekends, holidays, or off-hours. A typical Security Operations Center (SOC) is very expensive and time-consuming to build in-house; however, the MDR service provides faster threat detection and response when suspicious activity is identified, helping minimize potential damage.
Similarly, when we asked about how MDR has helped protect their VESTA call-handling operations, they said it allows their employees to focus on their core work without worrying about cyber threats. Furthermore, knowing that cybersecurity experts are monitoring their systems 24/7 provides enhanced data protection, better security awareness and crucial peace of mind.
Andy and Christopher stress that PSAPs failing to recognize the seriousness of cyber threats can face significant operational, legal and safety-related risks. To mitigate these risks, they strongly encourage exploring 24/7 cybersecurity services to help protect mission-critical systems. To continuously monitor these environments effectively, the ActiveEye platform that powers our MDR service uses advanced security tools. This combination allows for rapid incident response the moment an anomaly is detected.
Public Safety Threat Alliance (PSTA) Membership
As part of its forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity, Milwaukee County is a member of the Public Safety Threat Alliance (PSTA), a community that shares cyber threat intelligence and facilitates collaboration among public safety organizations. There’s no cost to join.
Milwaukee County made the clear choice to secure their infrastructure and transform risk into resilience. They are setting the benchmark for modern PSAP protection, ensuring their community will not be without 9-1-1 service.
To learn more about how we can help you build a stronger cybersecurity program, check out our recent blogs on 8 Steps to Developing a Strong Cybersecurity Strategy and AI Phishing Attacks: a Public Safety Guide.
