Emergency Mobile Alerts

By James Lewis

The UK will soon be testing a system that sends emergency alerts to mobile phones within areas affected by flooding, industrial accidents or other local risks.

Similar systems are used in the US, the Netherlands and Australia.

The government will be piloting this system in Easingwold, North Yorkshire; Leiston, Suffolk; and Glasgow city centre and will be received by up to 50,000 people. These pilots will evaluate how the public reacts to these alerts.

The announcement of the trials were announced by the Cabinet Office, and stated that they were working with the mobile phone operators O2, Vodafone and EE to conduct this experiment; starting later this month and will continue into October and November.

The system will be evaluated by feedback provided by the people who receive emergency mobile alerts, with encouragement for them to also attend local focus groups.

The report is expected in early 2014, after which ministers will decide whether to deploy the scheme.

Security Concerns

However there are security concerns, with one expert stating that the system could be targeted by hackers.

“Spoofability will go through the roof if they use ‘plain Jane’ text messages,” said Chester Wisniewski, senior advisor at data security firm Sophos. “They are opening themselves up to vulnerabilities.”

Ms Smith, reacting to these claims has told the BBC that authorities “will be vigilant for any sign of abuse in the trial”. Adding that; the mobile alerts would work alongside existing services, allowing members of the public to verify messages with other sources.

System Success

The mobile alert systems have already been used in several countries to warn people about prison escapes, disappearances and wanted vehicles.

Californian Highway Patrol officials used the mobile alerts for the first time in the state on an evening in August after two children went missing. Many people complained after they were woken by their phones ringing or vibrating.

But, there was more positive feedback a few weeks later when a 17 month old missing toddler was reunited with her family in North Carolina after a message was sent to mobile phones in the area.

However, the system would work differently in the UK according to the Cabinet Office. They are proposing to use the technology to be used only if there is a distinct threat to life or property, such as; severe weather, pandemics and attacks on critical infrastructure.