Alexandria, VA – The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published Interagency Report 8018, which documents the initial public safety application security requirements identified in a workshop hosted by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Public Safety Communications Research Program and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet).

The Report describes how this first-of-its-kind event brought together public safety practitioners, app developers, industry experts, and government officials to identify initial security requirements for apps intended for public safety use.  Workshop participants addressed app security topics such as data protection and identity management during sessions facilitated by representatives from APCO and NIST.  Breakout groups comprised of individuals with diverse professional backgrounds considered use cases to identify public safety needs, mobile app technology issues, and potential security requirements for public safety apps.  The Report includes next steps and areas for additional research to improve upon APCO’s Key Attributes of Effective Apps for Public Safety and Emergency Response.

“I commend NIST for its continued progress toward improving app security,” APCO President John Wright said.  “This is a critical issue and a major impetus behind APCO’s decision to establish AppComm and the Key Attributes.  I was pleased to be part of this first workshop, along with other APCO members, and I look forward to future collaboration with NIST, FirstNet, and other stakeholders to ensure public safety apps are as effective as possible.”

The NIST Report is available on the AppComm News & Resources page.

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APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide – and the welfare of the general public as a whole.