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Reposted from CISA/DHS
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released two new resources to mitigate and understand risks posed by AI: 1) Guidelines to mitigate AI risks posed to critical infrastructure and a 2) new report that evaluates the potential for AI to be misused to enable the development or production of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear threats. DHS, in coordination with CISA, developed the new safety and security guidelines to address cross-sector AI risks.
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) marked the 180-day mark of President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 14110, “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” by unveiling new resources to address threats posed by AI: (1) guidelines to mitigate AI risks to critical infrastructure and (2) a report on AI misuse in the development and production of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN). These resources build upon the Department’s broader efforts to protect the nations’ critical infrastructure and help stakeholders leverage AI, which include the recent establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board. This new Board, announced last week, assembles technology and critical infrastructure executives, civil rights leaders, academics, state and local government leaders, and policymakers to advance responsible development and deployment of AI. “AI can present transformative solutions for U.S. critical infrastructure, and it also carries the risk of making those systems vulnerable in new ways to critical failures, physical attacks, and cyber attacks. Our Department is taking steps to identify and mitigate those threats,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “When President Biden tasked DHS as a leader in the safe, secure, and reliable development of AI, our Department accelerated our previous efforts to lead on AI. In the 180 days since the Biden-Harris Administration’s landmark EO on AI, DHS has established a new AI Corps, developed AI pilot programs across the Department, unveiled an AI roadmap detailing DHS’s current use of AI and its plans for the future, and much more. DHS is more committed than ever to advancing the responsible use of AI for homeland security missions and promoting nationwide AI safety and security, building on the unprecedented progress made by this Administration. We will continue embracing AI’s potential while guarding against its harms.” DHS, in coordination with its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), released new safety and security guidelines to address cross-sector AI risks impacting the safety and security of U.S. critical infrastructure systems. The guidelines organize its analysis around three overarching categories of system-level risk:
“CISA was pleased to lead the development of ‘Mitigating AI Risk: Safety and Security Guidelines for Critical Infrastructure Owners and Operators on behalf of DHS,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “Based on CISA’s expertise as National Coordinator for critical infrastructure security and resilience, DHS’ Guidelines are the agency’s first-of-its-kind cross-sector analysis of AI-specific risks to critical infrastructure sectors and will serve as a key tool to help owners and operators mitigate AI risk." To address these risks, DHS outlines a four-part mitigation strategy, building upon the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) AI Risk Management Framework (RMF), that critical infrastructure owners and users can consider when approaching contextual and unique AI risk situations:
Countering Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Threats The Department worked with its Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) to analyze the risk of AI being misused to assist in the development or production of CBRN threats, and analyze and provide recommended steps to mitigate potential threats to the homeland. This report, developed through extensive collaboration across the United States Government, academia, and industry, furthers long-term objectives around how to ensure the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence, and guides potential interagency follow-on policy and implementation efforts. “The responsible use of AI holds great promise for advancing science, solving urgent and future challenges, and improving our national security, but AI also requires that we be prepared to rapidly mitigate the misuse of AI in the development of chemical and biological threats,” said Assistant Secretary for CWMD Mary Ellen Callahan. “This report highlights the emerging nature of AI technologies, their interplay with chemical and biological research and the associated risks, and provides longer-term objectives around how to ensure safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of AI. I am incredibly proud of our team at CMWD for this vital work which builds upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s forward-leaning Executive Order.”
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in partnership with the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, is holding the first event in the 2024 Public Private Partnership Security and Resilience Seminar Series, which will provide valuable information from subject matter experts sharing critical infrastructure best practices, valuable lessons, and preparedness resources.On May 9, 2024 (12-pm ET / 9-am PT), this 90-minute virtual seminar - Introduction to Violence Prevention Strategies and Resources - will offer insights into data-informed approaches to targeted violence prevention. This seminar aims to bridge the gap between research, policy formulation, and local-level implementation of violence prevention strategies. Guest speakers for this seminar will include representatives from:
Reposted from EMR-ISAC
CISA’s Emergency Services Sector Management Team (ES SMT) is hosting a 3-part webinar series in May on artificial intelligence (AI):
April is Autism Acceptance Month. Throughout April, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and many national and international advocacy groups have been honoring the contributions and recognizing the needs of people on the autism spectrum.
Autism awareness is essential for all members of the community, but it is especially important for first responders. People with autism may have difficulty understanding and interpreting social cues, exhibit sensory overwhelm and sensitivities, and have unique ways of processing information. People with autism also have higher-than-average mortality rates, often from accidental death such as drowning or being hit by a car, or from medical causes, in particular epilepsy.
The 2024 Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC) International, which just wrapped up last week, featured a classroom session, Autism Awareness for First Responders. The Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) previewed this classroom session in March. The article provides tips on communication, performing a medical or trauma assessment on a patient with autism, and awareness information on wandering. Wandering, or elopement, among the autism community is of particular concern for first responders.
Additionally, the White House’s proclamation of April 2, 2024, as Autism Acceptance Day, highlighted the reauthorization of Kevin and Avonte’s Law, which was so named to honor the memory of Kevin Wills and Avonte Oquendo, two boys with autism who tragically perished after wandering away from supervised settings. This law will allow for the expansion of training for first responders and caregivers.
Kevin and Avonte’s Law provides the foundation for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Home Safe program, which released a suite of resources in September 2023 for first responders:
Emergency response agencies may also want to explore best practices for response to individuals with autism that are being adopted by other agencies. EMS1 recently featured two emergency medical services (EMS) agencies’ best practices. Gold Cross ambulances in Salt Lake City, Utah, introduced specialized kits for paramedics in its ambulances designed to enhance their response to patients with autism. Earlier this year, a Minnesota family with an autistic son developed ‘sensory emergency kits’ for police, fire, and other first responder personnel to help them interact with kids and adults with autism.
These publications can be used by all first responders for training or updating standard operating procedures, guidelines, and plans related to response to incidents involving individuals with autism.
Ransomware continues to evolve as a scourge on critical services, businesses, and communities worldwide, causing costly incidents that are increasingly destructive and disruptive. Based on recent industry reporting, it costs businesses an average of $1.85 million to recover from a ransomware attack.3 In addition, 80% of victims who paid a ransom were targeted and victimized again by these criminals.4 The economic, technical, and reputational impacts of ransomware incidents, throughout the initial disruption and, at times, extended recovery, continue to pose a challenge for organizations large and small.
To directly reduce the attack surface and impact of ransomware attacks, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Ransomware Vulnerability Warning Pilot (RVWP) focuses on proactive risk reduction through direct communication with federal government, state, local, tribal, territorial (SLTT) government, and critical infrastructure entities to prevent threat actors from accessing and deploying ransomware on their networks. Aligned with the Joint Ransomware Task Force, this pilot provides timely notification to critical infrastructure organizations to mitigate vulnerabilities and protect their networks and systems by using existing services, data sources, technologies, and authorities.
A key service used for warning organizations of ransomware-related vulnerabilities is our Cyber Hygiene Vulnerability Scanning, which monitors internet connected devices for known vulnerabilities and is available to any organization. Organizations participating in this no-cost service typically reduce their risk and exposure by 40% within the first 12 months and most see improvements in the first 90 days. Because the service looks for exposed assets, whether planned or inadvertent, it identifies vulnerabilities that would otherwise go unmanaged. For its use in support of RVWP, it informs organizations of those vulnerabilities commonly associated with known ransomware exploitation.
Reposted from Cultural Safeguard Alliance
We are excited to launch the Cultural Property Protection 2024 Benchmarking Survey! Developed by the Center for Audience Research & Evaluation at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, this survey is tailored specifically for cultural property protection and was informed by the American Alliance of Museum's surveys and general facilities reports.
The survey aims to gather crucial insights for the security, public safety, and protection departments in cultural properties. Your valuable input will be instrumental in enhancing the safeguarding of cultural assets as well as ensuring the safety and security of these institutions. Your expertise is key to preserving our cultural legacy!
In addition to participating in the survey, we hope that you will share this survey with your colleagues at other cultural property sites. The more institutions that participate, the better this information can help our field. Please limit survey responses to one per site/institution.
The survey will close Friday, May 24th. We will take a couple of weeks to analyze the results, which will be presented at the IFCPP Conference in Chicago this June! Sometime after the conference the survey results will be available to CSA Members (free to join) on the website - www.culturalsafeguardalliance.org.
Cultural Property Protection 2024 Benchmarking Survey
survey.co1.qualtrics.com
Reposted from American Alliance of Museums
(From American Alliance of Museums)
Standards Regarding Collections Stewardship
· The museum owns, exhibits or uses collections that are appropriate to its mission.
· The museum legally, ethically and effectively manages, documents, cares for and uses the collections.
· The museum conducts collections-related research according to appropriate scholarly standards.
· The museum strategically plans for the use and development of its collections.
· The museum, guided by its mission, provides public access to its collections while ensuring their preservation.
· The museum allocates its space and uses its facilities to meet the needs of the collections, audience and staff.
· The museum has appropriate measures in place to ensure the safety and security of people, its collections and/or objects, and the facilities it owns or uses.
· The museum takes appropriate measures to protect itself against potential risk and loss.
Purpose and Importance
Stewardship is the careful, sound and responsible management of that which is entrusted to a museum’s care. Possession of collections incurs legal, social and ethical obligations to provide proper physical storage, management and care for the collections and associated documentation, as well as proper intellectual control. Collections are held in trust for the public and made accessible for the public’s benefit. Effective collections stewardship ensures that the objects the museum owns, borrows, holds in its custody and/or uses are available and accessible to present and future generations. A museum’s collections are an important means of advancing its mission and serving the public.
Implementation
Museums are expected to: plan strategically and act ethically with respect to collections stewardship matters; legally, ethically and responsibly acquire, manage and dispose of collection items as well as know what collections are in its ownership/custody, where they came from, why it has them and their current condition and location; and provide regular and reasonable access to, and use of, the collections/objects in its custody.
Achieving this standard requires thorough understanding of collections stewardship issues to ensure thoughtful and responsible planning and decision making. With this in mind, national standards emphasize systematic development and regular review of policies, procedures, practices and plans for the goals, activities and needs of the collections.
How Does A Museum Assess Whether Its Collections and/or Objects Are Appropriate for Its Mission?
This is determined by comparing the institution’s mission—how it formally defines its unique identity and purpose, and its understanding of its role and responsibility to the public—to two things: (1) the collections used by the institution; and (2) its policies, procedures and practices regarding the development and use of collections (see also the Standards Regarding Institutional Mission Statements).
A review of a museum’s collections stewardship practices examines: whether the mission statement or collections documents (e.g., collections management policy, collections plan, etc.) are clear enough to guide collections stewardship decisions; whether the collections owned by the museum, and objects loaned and exhibited at the museum, fall within the scope of the stated mission and collections documents; and whether the mission and other collections stewardship-related documents are in alignment and guide the museum’s practices.
Assessing Collections Stewardship
There are different ways to manage, house, secure, document and conserve collections, depending on their media and use, and the museum’s own discipline, size, physical facilities, geographic location and financial and human resources. Therefore, one must consider many facets of an institution’s operations that, taken together, demonstrate the effectiveness of its collections stewardship policies, procedures and practices, and assess them in light of varying factors. For instance, museums may have diverse types of collections categorized by different levels of purpose and use—permanent, educational, archival, research and study, to name a few—that may have different management and care needs. These distinctions should be articulated in collections stewardship-related policies and procedures. In addition, different museum disciplines may have different collections stewardship practices, issues and needs related to their specific field. Museums are expected to follow the standards and best practices appropriate to their respective discipline and/or museum type as applicable.
The standards require that:
· A current, approved, comprehensive collections management policy is in effect and actively used to guide the museum’s stewardship of its collections.
· The human resources are sufficient, and the staff have the appropriate education, training and experience to fulfill the museum’s stewardship responsibilities and the needs of the collections.
· Staff are delegated responsibility to carry out the collections management policy.
· A system of documentation, records management and inventory is in effect to describe each object and its acquisition (permanent or temporary), current condition and location and movement into, out of and within the museum.
· The museum regularly monitors environmental conditions and takes proactive measures to mitigate the effects of ultraviolet light, fluctuations in temperature and humidity, air pollution, damage, pests and natural disasters on collections.
· An appropriate method for identifying needs and determining priorities for conservation/care is in place.
· Safety and security procedures and plans for collections in the museum’s custody are documented, practiced and addressed in the museum’s emergency/disaster preparedness plan.
· Regular assessment of, and planning for, collection needs (development, conservation, risk management, etc.) takes place and sufficient financial and human resources are allocated for collections stewardship.
· Collections care policies and procedures for collections on exhibition, in storage, on loan and during travel are appropriate, adequate and documented.
· The scope of a museum’s collections stewardship extends to both the physical and intellectual control of its property.
· Ethical considerations of collections stewardship are incorporated into the appropriate museum policies and procedures.
· Considerations regarding future collecting activities are incorporated into institutional plans and other appropriate policy documents.
Reposted from Apple
Exciting news! The Emergency Response and Salvage (ERS) App is back for iOS users! Download the app from the Apple Store here: apps.apple.com/us/app/emergency-response-and-salvage/...
The Android version is coming soon; I'll post the link here when it's ready for download.
Law enforcement agencies across four states were left scrambling following reports of major 911 outages that saw millions unable to contact authorities late Wednesday, April 17. Many of the outages — reported in Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota and Texas — were restored by the late evening. So far, there's no indication that the 911 outages overnight were caused by a cyberattack or other malicious act, law enforcement officials told NBC News on Thursday.
The National Security Agency (NSA) is releasing a Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI) on Monday, April 15, Deploying AI Systems Securely: Best Practices for Deploying Secure and Resilient AI Systems. The CSI is intended to support National Security System owners and Defense Industrial Base companies that will be deploying and operating AI systems designed and developed by an external entity.
The CSI is the first release from NSA’s Artificial Intelligence Security Center (AISC), in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ), and United Kingdom National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK).
While intended for national security purposes, the guidance has application for anyone bringing AI capabilities into a managed environment, especially those in high-threat, high-value environments.
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