Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare

The Federal Communications Commission updated its Covered List to include all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries. Routers are the boxes in every home that connect computers, phones, and smart devices to the internet.

The White House released its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI), which includes several priorities:

NEO Network Development is proposing a National Broadband Master Plan that would establish an underground digital infrastructure alongside interstates, highways, and roads that are overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The National Broadband Master Plan is a five-year plan to digitally overhaul, modernize, secure, and unify the country’s digital infrastructure by creating, as it states, a vast nationwide network of underground conduits and fiber.

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to combat cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes targeting American families, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

Infiltrating phone apps has become an increasingly common practice, both for propaganda and surveillance. Hacking a phone app can be more effective than trying to tap into a computer, according to Nicholas Reese, former director of emerging technology policy at the Department of Homeland Security. People generally store more personal information on their phones, often without realizing it. Accessing a computer typically requires infiltrating popular cloud services, which have sophisticated and standardized security protections.

In July 2025, Joint Economic Committee Ranking Member Maggie Hassan (D-NH) launched a major initiative to investigate financial scams and push for new ways to address this growing threat from both the public and private sectors. Following Ranking Member Hassan’s requests, Comscore, Telesign, 6sense, and IQVIA took actions to make their opt-out options more accessible to consumers and other parties.

Ultimately, ensuring network resiliency and security is a shared responsibility. Interagency and industry coordination is paramount. The Federal Communications Commission has an important role to play working with its federal partners, industry, and Congress, on a range of issues, including: reevaluating outage reporting to reflect modern networks; strengthening transparency around supply-chain risks; and supporting responsible space and satellite growth.

Technology shapes how Minnesotans access essential government services — from childcare and healthcare to public safety, licensing, and regulatory oversight. In 2025, the Minnesota Technology Advisory Council (TAC) focused on strengthening the enterprise foundations required for effective, accountable government. Minnesota continued to lead in responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption by strengthening enterprise governance, shared standards, and workforce readiness.

On November 18, 2025, Sen. Maria Cantwell sent Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr a letter expressing her strong opposition to his effort to roll back the FCC's ruling to secure telecommunications networks specifically put into place after last year’s Chinese-state-sponsored Salt Typhoon incursion—one of the worst cyberattacks in history. On January 21, Chairman Carr wrote that the FCC C has worked directly with carriers who have agreed to make extensive and coordinated efforts to harden their networks against a range of cyber intrusions.

On January 12, Federal Communications Commissioner Olivia Trusty spoke at the Hudson Institute about national security, network security, and telecommunications infrastructure. "When Americans think about national security, they often picture warships, warfighters parachuting out of helicopters, satellites, intelligence agencies, cyber defenders, and more. Those images matter," said Commissioner Trusty. "But underneath all of those images is something more fundamental: the strength and security of the communications infrastructure that connects our country. Our military runs on it.