Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Sunday January 14 2018, @11:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the how-about-next-generation-punishments dept.

Big Tech Improvements To 911 System Raises The Risk Of More 'Swatting'

Now some big changes for 911 are in the works, new technology that's raised concerns about what it means for swatting. The current system — devised 50 years ago — hasn't seen much change over the years and is limited. People typically verbally describe emergencies on the phone. The new system, called Next Generation or NG 911, is based on the Internet instead of telephone technology. The change will allow people to send information to emergency call centers as if they are posting to social media.

"It gives us the ability to access 911 using the same voice, video, text and data applications that we're all used to using on smartphones today," says Trey Fogerty of NENA. This is a big deal because a picture of an accident scene might definitely help emergency crews responding to that crisis. A text to the new 911 might also be useful during a home invasion or domestic violence situations.

But, the changes could also go awry. "You could conceivably have a video that is fabricated and is sent into a 911 dispatch center that appears to be one thing when in fact it is something quite different," says Chuck Wexler, the head of the Police Executive Research Forum. In Virginia, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler says they've worked hard to train dispatchers and police to prevent getting duped by swatting calls and he's concerned the new system could bring more problems. "Unfortunately, there's evil people out there that continue to do this and the more we embrace that technology the more risk we have," he says.

So spotting any red flags will be crucial. Police chiefs say dispatchers will have to become adept at quickly analyzing text and video. Designers are devising a way to mark suspicious video and text messages plus working to create a trustworthy alternative to today's caller ID, according to Fogerty.

Related: Gamers Use Police Hoax to Lash Out at Opponents
Swatter Just Prankster?
Swatted: Police Kill Innocent Man in Kansas


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by anotherblackhat on Monday January 15 2018, @02:39PM

    by anotherblackhat (4722) on Monday January 15 2018, @02:39PM (#622572)

    Give the public an extra way to contact emergency services?

    Please make sure you inform the responders of the quality of the "call".
    Was it anonymous? Did they block or spoof their ID?
    Then let the police know, so they can make a reasoned response ... yeah, right who am I kidding?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2