In todays environment, more business is happening online, meaning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FEMA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are implementing protocols to the telecommunications infrastructure. Below are two articles written by Michael Grey, Director of Sales and marketing at TechnologyXperts, Inc., to help you understand the changes.
TXI Covid-19 Update from DHS, CISA and FEMA
As we go through this time, the team at TXI is here to provide support, guidance and security. I am actively participating in a twice-weekly conference call hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FEMA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The calls are discussing details on supply chain and infrastructure impact of Covid-19. During the call, the telecommunications infrastructure was discussed, and the following key points were shared:
The carriers are expecting an increase of demand upon their networks. As employees work remotely and telehealth is fully implemented, the demand for bandwidth will spike.
The carriers have implemented the following protocols
Healthcare is given priority over other non-essential businesses.
Any repairs or installations are treated case-by-case or necessity only.
Lastly, the carriers also implemented a TSP protocol. The TSP protocol allows for essential businesses to fast track bandwidth increases or new installs.
What does this mean to you? Well, you will likely experience the following:
Slow responses to trouble tickets with all phone and internet providers
Service-related issues with internet and voice
New service installations halted due to the protocols put into place
As we participate in these calls, we will share with our customers any applicable updates. We are all in this together, and we are here to help and support our customers.
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19
I am writing to send you an update on Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 that we have received from our daily briefing with Department of Homeland Security and CISA. Please share with the widest possible dissemination.
- CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) developed an initial list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” to help State and local officials as they work to protect their communities, while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety, as well as economic and national security. The list can also inform critical infrastructure community decision-making to determine the sectors, sub-sectors, segments, or critical functions that should continue normal operations, appropriately modified to account for Centers for Disease Control (CDC) workforce and customer protection guidance.
- The list identifies workers who conduct a range of operations and services that are essential to continued critical infrastructure viability, including staffing operations centers, maintaining and repairing critical infrastructure, operating call centers, working construction, and performing management functions, among others. The industries they support represent, but are not necessarily limited to, medical and healthcare, telecommunications, information technology systems, defense, food and agriculture, transportation and logistics, energy, water and wastewater, law enforcement, and public works.
- We recognize that State, local, tribal, and territorial governments are ultimately in charge of implementing and executing response activities in communities under their jurisdiction, while the Federal Government is in a supporting role. As State and local communities consider COVID-19-related restrictions, CISA is offering this list to assist prioritizing activities related to continuity of operations and incident response, including the appropriate movement of critical infrastructure workers within and between jurisdictions.
Michael Gray | Director of Sales and Marketing
TechnologyXperts, Inc.
24000 Mercantile Rd.
Beachwood, OH 44122
(216) 755-2002
michaelg@gotxi.com
www.gotxi.com
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