Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare

This week, the House of Representatives passed nine communications and technology bills;  the legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate. These bills encompass a wide range of broadband-related policy aims, primarily focusing on consumer safety, cybersecurity, and wireless innovation. We're looking at how they can impact broadband consumers if they eventually become law.

A group of more than 400 school district leaders have signed a Consortium for School Networ

Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen Edward Markey (D-MA) are demanding answers from the Trump administration about its use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to label people as a risk to U.S. national security. Sens Wyden and Markey called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to reverse the Trump administration's decision to expand its social media screening of visa applicants.

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity by focusing on critical protections against foreign cyber threats and enhancing secure technology practices. The order:

Elon Musk’s team at the U.S. DOGE Service and allies in the Trump administration ignored White House communications experts worried about potential security breaches when DOGE personnel installed Musk’s Starlink internet service in the complex. Those who were managing White House communications systems were not informed in advance when DOGE representatives went to the roof of the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building in February 2025 to install a terminal connecting users in the complex to Starlink satellites, which are owned by Musk’s private SpaceX rocket company.

On Friday, May 9, 2025, the Trump Administration began notifying states that their Digital Equity Act Capacity Grant funds were terminated. The day prior, President Donald Trump shared via Truth Social that he and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are determined to bring an end to the Digital Equity Act and its “unconstitutional” and “illegal” programs. In 2021, Congress included the Digital Equity Act in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to give U.S.

The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security has taken a tougher stance on Chinese technology advances, warning companies around the world that using artificial intelligence chips made by Huawei could trigger criminal penalties for violating US export controls. The Commerce Department issued guidance to clarify that Huawei’s Ascend processors were subject to export controls because they almost certainly contained, or were made with, US technology.

A concerning development from the Trump administration has privacy advocates sounding alarm bells nationwide: a plan to consolidate data from dozens of government agencies into what would amount to a comprehensive “master file” on all American citizens.

On December 23, 2024, the Spectrum and Secure Technology and Innovation Act was enacted, authorizing the Federal Communications Commission to borrow from the Treasury of the United States up to an additional $3.08 billion to carry out the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019. The FCC has now borrowed the full amount authorized under the statute.

The Catasaqua Area School District (PA) wrote to the Federal Communications Commission to withdraw from participating in the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program. Paul Reilly, Network Manager for the school district, wrote, "While we are unable to participate at this moment, we continue to recognize the critical importance of cybersecurity funding and hope that our withdrawal may provide another school the opportunity to highlight the ongoing need for such vital support."