US EditionFCC Dumps Plan for Telecom Security Rules that Internet Providers Don’t Like
The FCC plans to remove federal cybersecurity mandates for telecoms after China-linked Salt Typhoon hacks exposed vulnerabilities in networks serving millions, citing legal and effectiveness concerns.
- At the commission's November meeting, FCC will consider an order to rescind the Jan. 15 declaratory ruling under CALEA, following FCC engagement with carriers, on November 20.
- The January 2025 declaratory ruling followed the Salt Typhoon campaign revealed in late 2024, which penetrated U.S. telecom networks including Verizon and AT&T, accessing wiretaps and metadata affecting millions in over 80 countries.
- Industry groups led by CTIA petitioned the FCC to reverse the January 2025 interpretation, citing that CALEA was not meant to become a cybersecurity statute, while FCC Chair Brendan Carr argued the ruling exceeded authority and was ineffective.
- Discarding the CALEA declaration would remove the government's main regulatory response and eliminate the U.S. government's most substantial response to Salt Typhoon, while EPIC opposed the repeal and Senators Warner and Wyden urged DHS for an unclassified report.
- The FCC says it prefers agile federal-private partnerships and targeted rulemaking, while the House passed the Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act to establish a CISA-led interagency task force involving the Justice Department and FBI.
12 Articles
12 Articles
FCC to vote on reversing cyber rules adopted after Salt Typhoon hack
The Federal Communications Commission is set this week to vote on reversing cybersecurity rules for telecommunications providers that were put forward following the sweeping “Salt Typhoon” hacks. The FCC’s meeting on Thursday includes plans to consider an order to rescind a ruling and proposed rules published in the waning days of the Biden administration. The January ruling requires telecom operators to secure their networks under Section 105 o…
Above the Law
Trump Cybersecurity Policy Is Indistinguishable From A Foreign Attack
Last year almost a dozen major U.S. ISPs were the victim of a massive, historic intrusion by Chinese hackers who managed to spy on public U.S. officials for more than a year. The “Salt Typhoon” hack was so severe, the intruders spent much of the last year rooting around the ISP networks even after discovery. AT&T and Verizon, two of the compromised companies, apparently didn’t think it was worth informing subscribers any of this happened. Many o…
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