October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
IEMA encourages people to learn how to avoid cyber attacks
SPRINGFIELD – Most people spend several hours each day online for work, pleasure or both. The widespread usage of computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets offers countless opportunities to connect with information and people around the world. It also provides myriad opportunities for cyber criminals.
Governor Bruce Rauner has proclaimed October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month to highlight the importance of understanding and avoiding cyber risks. During October, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is joining with county and municipal emergency management agencies to increase awareness of online risks and provide tips on what people can do to prevent problems.
“Computers and mobile devices give us access to a wealth of information and help us connect with people near and far,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “Unfortunately, there are people out there who continuously seek ways to cause harm and create havoc through these devices. The best way to defend against cyber attacks is by arming yourself with information about the risks and learning steps you can take to reduce the chance of being a victim of cybercrime.”
Joseph said the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov provides links to information and tips to help people minimize the risk of being a cybercrime victim. Some of those tips include the following:
• Configure your computer securely Use privacy and security settings in your software, email system and web browsers. Regularly update your anti-virus software to identify and thwart new strains of malicious software. • Keep software and operating systems updated Install all software updates as soon as they are offered; using the “auto update” setting is the best way to ensure timely updates. • Use strong passwords Cybercriminals use automated programs that will try every word in the dictionary in a few minutes. When creating a password, use at least 10 characters, with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. • Be cautious about links and attachments Even communications you receive that appear to be from friends and family may contain links to malicious sites, so be careful when clicking on links in those messages. When in doubt, delete it.
“Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue – it is a public safety issue,” stated Kirk Lonbom, Interim Secretary at Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology. “The month of October provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of cybersecurity risks and promote online safety.
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Illinois Residents Encouraged to Register for ‘The Great ShakeOut’ Earthquake Drill
‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ Drill Set for October 19
SPRINGFIELD – On Oct. 19 at 10:19 a.m., millions of people in the U.S. and around the globe will take a few minutes to practice three simple actions that could save their lives during a major earthquake. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and municipal and county emergency management agencies are encouraging Illinois residents to drop, cover and hold on during The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.
“Earthquakes occur without warning, so it’s important to know what to do as soon as you feel the earth shake,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “With two seismic zones in southern Illinois and residents who travel throughout the world, it’s important that everyone knows how to stay safe during an earthquake. The drill takes only a few minutes, but the lessons learned could save your life.”
The Great ShakeOut drill centers around the drop, cover and hold on actions: drop down to the ground, take cover under a table or other piece of heavy furniture, and then hold on until the shaking stops.
In October 2016, nearly 500,000 Illinoisans took part in the ShakeOut drill. To date, more than 300,000 people in Illinois are registered for this year’s event.
Some of the most powerful earthquakes to ever occur in the U.S. happened in the winter of 1811-12 in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which reaches into southwestern Illinois. That series of earthquakes lasted for several months and shaking was felt as far away as the East Coast. A similar earthquake today could cause catastrophic damage in a region that is much more developed and populated than in the early 1800s.
Schools, businesses, government agencies, families and others can register to participate in the drill at www.shakeout.org/centralus. Registered participants will receive additional information about the drill and earthquake preparedness. While the international drill will take place on Oct. 19, individual drills can be conducted anytime within two weeks of that date.
Additional information about the earthquake risk in Illinois and steps to take before, during and after an earthquake is available at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
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IEMA Joins Nationwide Campaign to Encourage Disaster Preparedness
‘Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.” is Theme for National Preparedness Month in September
SPRINGFIELD – September is National Preparedness Month and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is joining with emergency management agencies throughout the state and across the U.S. to encourage people to spend a few moments during the month on disaster preparedness.
The campaign’s theme Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can. urges people to set aside time to discuss emergency plans with family members and develop a plan to stay safe when disaster strikes. The goal of this annual preparedness push is to increase personal and community disaster preparedness throughout the U.S.
“We never know when the next disaster will strike, but there are actions we can take to be better prepared for the unexpected,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “As we are seeing with Hurricane Harvey, even an expected weather event can have unexpected devastating consequences.”
Throughout September, IEMA will offer tips and information on how to develop a family emergency communication plan, assemble an emergency supply kit, as well as ways to receive critical emergency warnings.
IEMA offers disaster preparedness information on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov), a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, during and after disasters.
In addition, throughout September IEMA will post daily preparedness tips on the Ready Illinois Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (@ReadyIllinois).
During disasters, IEMA uses the Ready Illinois website, Facebook and Twitter pages to provide critical information about the incident, including shelter locations, road closures, safety information, photos and more.
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How to Help Disaster Survivors in Texas
The compassion and generosity of the American people is never more evident than during and after a disaster. As many Illinoisans seek ways to help survivors of this heartbreaking disaster, here is some important information to ensure your support is most helpful to those in need.
• The most effective way to support disaster survivors in their recovery is to donate money and time to trusted, reputable, voluntary or charitable organizations. This allows these organizations to obtain needed resources nearer to the disaster location, which reduces transportation costs and helps boost the local economy in the disaster-impacted area. • Donate through a trusted relief organization. The Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters has a list of vetted disaster relief organizations at http://txvoad.communityos.org/cms/node/104. A list of approved national organizations can be found on the National Volunteers Active in Disasters website at https://www.nvoad.org/. • Please do not donate unsolicited goods, such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, etc. Unless specifically requested, these may not meet the needs of disaster survivors. • The state of Texas is asking volunteers to not self-deploy, as unexpectedly showing up to any of the communities that have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey will create an additional burden for first responders. Potential volunteers are asked to register to volunteer with community- and faith-based organizations working in the field. Lists of those organizations can be found at http://txvoad.communityos.org/cms/node/104 and https://www.nvoad.org/.
It’s important to remember that recovery from a disaster of this magnitude will take months, even years. So, too, will the need for generosity from caring Americans.
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State, Local Agencies Coordinate to Ensure Public Safety Before, During, After Eclipse
Planning started in 2016
SPRINGFIELD – Excitement is building for a total solar eclipse that will be visible in a 70-mile-wide path in southern Illinois on Aug. 21. While crowd estimates vary, at least 145,000 people are expected to travel to the totality area in 18 southern Illinois counties to experience the rare celestial event and partake in dozens of eclipse-related events scheduled over a four-day period. Outside the totality area, people as far north as Chicago will be able to witness a partial eclipse.
Anticipating a high-level of interest in the eclipse, state and local public safety agencies and partner organizations began planning activities nearly a year ago to ensure safety for everyone before, during and after the eclipse.
“The planning efforts for the eclipse were similar to those we undertake for other events that involve large crowds,” said James K. Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA). “We began working with our emergency management partners within the path of totality last fall, as well as with our state agency and mutual aid partners to address every possible contingency in order to ensure the safety of everyone who lives in or visits southern Illinois for the eclipse.”
Joseph said planning efforts focused on many issues, including crowd control, public health and medical considerations, highway congestion, mass care and communications.
County and municipal agencies will be the lead within their jurisdictions. To facilitate coordination among response organizations, IEMA will establish a State Unified Area Command (SUAC) in Effingham, where representatives from the state departments of Transportation, Natural Resources, Public Health, Corrections, IEMA, the Illinois State Police, Illinois National Guard, fire, law enforcement and emergency management mutual aid organizations and the American Red Cross will be staged from Aug. 18-22.
Reporting to the SUAC will be Area Commands in Fairview Heights and Marion, where personnel will maintain close-range situational awareness of issues related to traffic, medical needs, cooling centers and other situations that may arise. Each Area Command will interact with response organizations in its nine-county area. In addition, IEMA personnel will deploy as needed to the local emergency operations centers of all of the major venues and where requested.
The National Weather Service in Paducah will have personnel in the Marion Area Command to provide regular weather updates for the entire 18-county area.
The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Springfield also will be activated Aug. 18-22 to support the SUAC and the Area Commands. Representatives from agencies in the SUAC and Area Commands will staff the SEOC and be prepared to expedite deployment of personnel or resources if needed during that time.
Safety messages
Joseph said many state and local agencies are actively promoting steps people should take to stay safe throughout the event. Eye safety is one of the most critical messages because it is never safe to look directly at the sun – even if the sun is partly eclipsed. Permanent or temporary vision loss is possible from unprotected viewing of the eclipse. When watching an eclipse, people must wear eclipse glasses or use a solar viewer to face the sun. Make sure eclipse glasses or solar viewer meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard.
A list of manufacturers and authorized dealers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers verified to be compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard is on the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers website.
With thousands of people planning to view the total eclipse in southern Illinois, IDOT and ISP officials have been closely coordinating with local law enforcement to ensure key traffic areas are staffed and the public is receiving helpful information through digital message signs. People should plan ahead for longer travel times in the region due to the expected influx of people and should plan ahead.
IDOT and ISP officials also say people should plan to park in a designated parking area away from traffic. No one should pull over on the side of the road to view the eclipse. Drivers in areas with viewing events or prime viewing locations should expect high volumes of pedestrian and bicycle traffic and drive accordingly. Both agencies also recommends motorists keep headlights on throughout the day of the eclipse.
For links to more information about eclipse safety and other related information, visit the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
