Throughout the year, preparing for natural hazards – wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more – consumes much of the time of emergency preparedness and public safety professionals. However, increasing occurrences of cyberthreats disrupt normal operations and interfere with public safety efforts to protect critical information, transmit emergency communications, and perform lifesaving tasks. For example, St. Paul, Minnesota, experienced a cyberattack on its municipal systems in July 2025. Although 911 systems were not affected, the attack impacted communications and public utilities, and full recovery of community services took more than a month. Examples like this demonstrate how digital disruptions can quickly devolve into operational crises.

The risk of cyberattacks is not new, but the interconnectedness between information technology and emergency preparedness has become much more apparent. Vulnerabilities within the critical infrastructure that powers daily activities and connects communities heighten the risk of intentional or unintentional disruptions that can threaten lives and properties during any disaster. The cascading effects of a 911 outage, breach in emergency communications, or disruption in critical infrastructure lifelines during a natural hazard event could devastate disaster response efforts when communities are most in need.

In this October edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, subject matter experts describe a changing cyberthreat landscape and the importance of multidisciplinary planning to ensure continuity of operations. Technologies are integral facets of society, so preparing for any natural hazard or human-caused event must include cyber risks and threats. Closing digital security gaps, promoting cyber situational awareness, and integrating related scenarios into training exercises are just a few steps that can help ensure continuity of mission-critical functions during any emergency.