Australian emergency services' IT vulnerability exposed by SOTI report
Recent research conducted by SOTI has revealed significant IT vulnerabilities within Australia's emergency services, a situation that heightens concern particularly in light of the recent global IT outage by CrowdStrike. This outage affected 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices, causing disruptions in various sectors including airlines, healthcare, and retail. The new report underscores the fragility of critical infrastructure that emergency services depend on.
According to the report, 75% of emergency service workers in Australia have experienced issues with their devices, adversely impacting the delivery speed of critical care. Michael Dyson, VP of Sales, APAC at SOTI, commented, “Recent high-profile system outages are forcing organisations to assess their IT infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for robust technological resilience. IT systems in the emergency services sector are critical and all steps must be taken to ensure ongoing communications and data is secured and maintained.”
Dyson further elaborated that 97% of emergency service teams encounter challenges with mobile technology, indicating significant room for improvement in addressing vulnerabilities and disruptions. The problem is compounded by the reliance on personal devices by more than half (52%) of first responders. Shared IT resources, such as printers (73%), notebook computers (59%), and rugged handhelds and tablets (57%), further illustrate the fragmented state of current technological support.
“To ensure the continuity and effectiveness of Australia’s emergency services, organisations must adopt robust, centrally managed and secured solutions,” Dyson stated. “With over half of first responders relying on personal devices, device visibility and control over device issues are not managed remotely by IT teams, making it harder to resolve problems swiftly. It also increases security risks with sensitive information. By addressing these gaps and providing dedicated, reliable technology, we can significantly reduce device downtime and improve the overall effectiveness of our critical services.”
The emotional toll on workers is also highlighted in the report. Nearly half (43%) of emergency services personnel reported increased stress levels due to device issues, which affects their well-being and efficiency in crisis situations. “Increased stress levels among frontline workers not only impedes their ability to perform their jobs to the best of their ability but also contributes to higher levels of workplace stress which can contribute to higher rates of staff turnover. The departure of experienced professionals is particularly troubling, as their expertise can be the difference between life and death in critical situations,” Dyson added.
A separate report by the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre found that nearly 60% of nurses and midwives in New South Wales plan to leave their jobs within the next five years, exacerbating staffing issues in the emergency services sector. This impending shortage underscores the crucial need for reliable technology that supports healthcare professionals, enabling them to provide high-quality care efficiently and without added stress.
“Just as all Australians know they can rely on first responders in times of crisis, so should frontline workers be able to rely on the technology that’s critical to their roles. By ensuring they have access to reliable technology, we can support them in performing their critical roles,” Dyson concluded.
The SOTI report, Digitizing the Frontline: Transformative Technologies in Critical Care, is based on research conducted via 900 self-completed interviews from nine markets worldwide. The markets surveyed include the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Australia. All interviewees were emergency service workers.
