WASHINGTON, D.C. — New Federal Communications Commission cybersecurity requirements for the Emergency Alert System take effect on September 29, requiring broadcasters to take specific steps to protect EAS equipment and systems from cyberattacks.
To help stations understand the new requirements and how to best prepare for compliance, the NAB and the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA) are teaming up.
The organizations are hosting a no-cost webinar on September 1 at Noon Eastern/9am Pacific featuring Indiana Broadcasters Association Executive Director Dave Arland and the New York State Broadcasters Association’s David Donovan as moderators.
They’re tasked with engaging a trio of leading EAS experts in providing practical guidance for station owners, general managers, engineers and IT professionals on how to prepare for the September 29 compliance deadline.
The panelists are Wayne Pecena, Associate Director of Engineering at KAMU-TV and KAMU-FM in College Station, Tex.; Dr. Edward Czarnecki, Ph.D., VP/Global and Government Affairs at Digital Alert Systems; and Sage Alerting Systems President Harold Price.
The new rules include requirements for 15-character passwords, firewalls, network segmentation and prompt installation of security patches and updates.
“Determining how to implement the new safeguards may be complex and costly for some stations,” the NAB and NASBA state.
