This Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and Public Safety Threat Alliance (PSTA) Joint Report is being provided to assist agencies and organizations in guarding against the persistent malicious actions of cyber threat actors.

Over the last year, opportunistic cyber threat actors have increasingly engaged in disruptive attacks against US public safety mission-critical systems, affecting emergency communications and downstream operations. In 2024, 326 cyberattacks impacted municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and other public safety organizations. While overall attacks against public safety fell 12 percent, PSTA observed a 60 percent increase in attacks against mission-critical technologies, such as public safety radio, computer-aided dispatch (CAD), and public safety answering points (PSAPs).

PSTA assesses this shift is likely due to cyber threat actors developing greater knowledge and abilities to disrupt mission critical technologies. These attacks have degraded emergency communications and inhibited the efficiency of first responder operations. Improper security configurations across public safety remote access devices, compromised logins, and unpatched systems have further enabled this trend. To better secure systems against persistent malicious cyber activity, defenders should maintain awareness of key tradecraft and implement corresponding security measures described in the Joint Report.

Reporting