FCC proposes new cybersecurity rules for telecoms

In the wake of recent cyberattacks against US communications companies by foreign actors, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed new cybersecurity rules on how telecommunication companies should secure their networks. 

"The cybersecurity of our nation's communications critical infrastructure is essential to promoting national security, public safety, and economic security,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement last week. "As technology continues to advance, so does the capabilities of adversaries, which means the U.S. must adapt and reinforce our defenses." 

Under the proposed requirements, which has been shared as a Declaratory Ruling with the other members of the commission, telecommunications carriers would need to secure their networks from unlawful access or interception of communications and to submit annual certifications to FCC confirming that they have created, updated, and implemented a cybersecurity risk management plan to fortify their defenses against future attacks. The proposal focuses on a "modern framework to help companies secure their networks," Rosenworcel said.

"The FCC is creating a forcing function to prioritize risk management and cybersecurity, which will also drive modernization in a lot of useful ways," said Trey Ford, chief information security officer at Bugcrowd, in an emailed statement. "The FCC will appreciate the challenges that Corporate Directors and the SEC have been wrestling with - how inventory, score, and treat cyber risks - and the challenges in communicating what needs done, when, and how."

The Chinese-state sponsored hacker group Salt Typhoon hit several Internet service provider networks in the US earlier this year, compromising targets at organizations including Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen. The carriers have not yet successfully evicted the attackers from their networks, and the intelligence community is still trying to determine the scope and impact of the attacks.

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