{"693189":{"#nid":"693189","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Cybersecurity Expert Appointed to Georgia Emergency Communications Authority Board","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) cybersecurity researcher Trevor Lewis, Ph.D., has been appointed to the state board that helps safeguard Georgia\u2019s evolving 911 infrastructure. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Lewis to serve on the Board of Directors of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/911.georgia.gov\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA).\u003C\/a\u003E Lewis will serve as the board\u2019s cybersecurity subject-matter expert, a position recently created as Georgia expands and modernizes its emergency communications capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis, a principal research scientist in GTRI\u2019s Cybersecurity, Information Protection, and Hardware Evaluation Research Laboratory (CIPHER), has had a wide-ranging career spanning law enforcement, information technology, and advanced cybersecurity research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis was sworn in at the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday, Oct. 8. At the ceremony, held in Gov. Brian Kemp\u0027s office, Lewis was joined by a large contingent of family members.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis was sworn in by Kemp. With his hand raised, he \u0022solemnly\u0022 swore to \u0022discharge and perform all the duties required of a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority, according to the best of my ability and understanding.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/webwise.gtri.gatech.edu\/image\/0c1a0090jpg\u0022\u003E0C1A0090.jpg\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/webwise.gtri.gatech.edu\/system\/files\/0C1A0090.jpg\u0022 alt=\u0022 Christopher J. Moore, GTRI)\u0022 width=\u00228192\u0022 height=\u00225464\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETrevor Lewis now holds a key position protecting the people of Georgia. (Photo: Christopher J. Moore, GTRI)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe appointment comes as emergency communications systems increasingly depend on interconnected digital networks, making cybersecurity an integral part of public safety. Georgia law now requires the governor to appoint a cybersecurity subject-matter expert to serve on GECA\u2019s board. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/legiscan.com\/GA\/bill\/HB423\/2025\u0022\u003EHouse Bill 423\u003C\/a\u003E, which passed in May 2025, established this requirement and expanded\u0026nbsp;GECA\u2019s responsibilities for developing and implementing Next Generation 911, or NG911, across Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENG911 represents a significant technological evolution from traditional 911 systems. Georgia law defines it as an Internet Protocol-based system designed to be secure, resilient, redundant, and interoperable. In addition to voice calls, NG911 infrastructure supports other forms of emergency communications and associated data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat increased capability also creates a larger and more complex digital environment that must be protected from an increasingly broad cybersecurity threat landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2025 legislation also directs GECA to establish and operate a network management center in coordination with cybersecurity subject-matter experts to protect the ESInet, core services, and public safety answering points. The authority is also responsible for monitoring network performance and coordinating technical standards intended to create an interconnected and interoperable statewide system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis brings experience to that mission from both sides of the cybersecurity \u201cbattlefield.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research at GTRI encompasses offensive and defensive cybersecurity topics, including penetration testing, red teaming, cyber threat emulation, defensive cyberspace operations, and threat hunting, among many others. His work frequently involves approaching systems from an adversary\u2019s perspective to identify weaknesses before a malicious actor can exploit them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt GTRI, our team frequently collaborates with government and commercial organizations to simulate cyber-attacker techniques, identify system vulnerabilities, and design strategies to bolster defenses against real threats,\u201d Lewis said in an interview.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis has applied those skills to critical infrastructure and national security challenges. His GTRI work has included cybersecurity research involving electric power systems and other operational technology environments. In one Georgia Tech research effort, Lewis and other GTRI red-team researchers tested the security of electric utility technology by attempting the types of malicious actions a real-world attacker might use. He has also researched ways to detect abnormal cyber activity within electric power systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore recently, Lewis has contributed to Georgia Tech research designed to help hospitals identify, track, and mitigate vulnerabilities in network-connected medical devices, another environment in which cybersecurity failures can have consequences extending well beyond information technology systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat background is particularly relevant as 911 systems become more interconnected and can carry increasingly diverse forms of digital information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis also brings prior law enforcement experience to the appointment, giving him a perspective that bridges cybersecurity technology and the operational realities of public safety. Before joining GTRI, Lewis served in law enforcement and later worked in network and security engineering before moving into advanced cybersecurity research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Lewis, effective cybersecurity requires understanding not only how systems are intended to work, but how an adversary might attempt to make them fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo excel in cybersecurity, one must master the art of thinking like an adversary,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cRegardless of your chosen cybersecurity specialization, you must constantly challenge assumptions by asking, \u2018How can X be broken?\u2019 This mindset uncovers hidden flaws before malicious actors can exploit them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis said his work has been particularly meaningful when it helps protect systems whose reliability has real-world consequences. This vital work ties into the tenets of GTRI\u2019s mission to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e354d0895a932ac66157a5cccdf432d81\u0022\u003EImprove the human condition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5277b5b8bb97820b7c28a01a365be15d\u0022\u003EEnhance State of Georgia economic development.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e839b4c2fa95c27f5a24abf12f9e723dc\u0022\u003EServe national security.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe greatest fulfillment comes from realizing my contributions to enhancing the security of power grids, critical infrastructure, and national defense systems against genuine cyber threats,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis new role with GECA extends that mission to another form of critical infrastructure: the communications systems Georgians rely on when they need help most.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI cybersecurity researcher Trevor Lewis, Ph.D., has been appointed to the state board that helps safeguard Georgia\u2019s evolving 911 infrastructure. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Lewis to serve on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA). Lewis will serve as the board\u2019s cybersecurity subject-matter expert, a position recently created as Georgia expands and modernizes its emergency communications capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Trevor Lewis will be a subject matter expert for agency that manages Georgia\u0027s 911 systems."}],"uid":"35875","created_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:23:38","changed_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:23:38","author":"cweems8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["cweems8@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}