Senator Charles Schumer is calling on the Department of Homeland Security and the FCC to come up with a plan to protect 911 call centers from cyber attacks.

Schumer says a recent study found that hackers have the ability to jam emergency phone lines, which could cause a total collapse of the 911 system's ability to answer and respond to emergencies.

"It would take merely 6,000 infected smartphones for attackers to disrupt the 911 call centers in the entire state of North Carolina, where the research was conducted,"  Schumer said. "Given that a state as large as North Carolina could be so easily crippled by this, this threat could severely harm New York State and the rest of the nation’s 911 services if duplicated in mobile phones across America."

The Senator wants a comprehensive plan put in place to protect Upstate New York 911 Call Centers from being compromised by hackers, a threat that he warns could cost lives.

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