911 outages in Texas, other states highlight system vulnerabilities: experts [Video]

AUSTIN, Texas – Law enforcement agencies in multiple states are investigating what caused major 911 problems in several states, including Texas. Experts said it highlights the vulnerability of the 911 system.

“911 systems are extremely vulnerable,” cybersecurity expert Matt Malone said.

From Wednesday night into Thursday morning, 911 systems in multiple states went out.

The FCC said they are investigating to “get to the bottom of the cause and impact.”

The Executive Director of the National Association of State 911 Administrators said the outages in Texas, South Dakota, Nebraska and Nevada may have been because of a cut fiber when someone was installing a light pole. She said tornadoes in Ohio impacted their service, and Minnesota experienced a network outage.

“It definitely appears that there were a number of things that happened all at once,” Executive Director of National Association of State 911 Administrators Harriet Rennie-Brown said.

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this was a first.

“We have never experienced an outage …