Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare

Iranian Protesters Struggle to Activate Starlink and Circumvent Internet Restrictions

After Elon Musk said his Starlink satellite-internet system was activated in Iran on Sept. 23, two men climbed onto the tiled roof of a residence in the Iranian city of Ahvaz and aimed a Starlink terminal into the sky. A faint signal was detected by the device for several seconds, then it disappeared. The men were seeking to help an Iranian protest movement struggling under a government crackdown on online communication, said Saeed Souzangar, a network engineer and one of the Iranian men.

Will Open-Source Intelligence Liberate Palestine From Digital Occupation?

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) has not-so-quietly revolutionized the global flow of information during times of conflict. By piecing together publicly available content, like satellite images, cellphone videos, and social media posts, open-source analysts cut through the fog of war, exposing and publicizing critical intelligence once monopolized by state authorities. For Palestinians, open-source intelligence is a double-edged sword. On one hand, OSINT offers Palestinians low-cost, relatively accessible tools to collect and disseminate valuable information about the conflict in their regi

Elon Musk offers Iranians uncensored internet access

Elon Musk’s Starlink has activated its satellite broadband service in Iran after the US allowed private companies to offer uncensored internet access to the country amid protests that have caused more than 40 deaths. Starlink is the first in a new generation of satellite networks operating in low-Earth orbit that are designed to provide high-bandwidth internet connections from space directly to individual users. Starlink users are able to bypass a country’s terrestrial communications networks, freeing them from internet censorship.

FCC Expands List of Communications Equipment and Services That Pose a Threat to National Security

The Federal Communications Commission lists Pacific Network Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary ComNet (USA) LLC and China Unicom (Americas) Operations Limited on its list of communications equipment and services that have been deemed a threat to national security. The actions implement recommendations in letters filed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)  on behalf of Executive Branch interagency bodies.

White House Releases Comprehensive Framework for Responsible Development of Digital Assets

Digital assets present potential opportunities to reinforce US leadership in the global financial system and remain at the technological frontier. President Biden’s March 9, 2022 Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets outlined the first whole-of-government approach to addressing the risks and harnessing the potential benefits of digital assets and their underlying technology. Agencies across the government have worked together to develop frameworks and policy recommendations that advance the six key priorities identified in the Order:

President Biden Announces Appointments to the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council

President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint highly qualified and diverse industry and government leaders as members of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which advises the White House on how to reduce physical and cyber risks and improve the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors. Appointees include:

Charter: Third Parties Don't Get Subscribers' Geolocation Information, Period

Charter's Spectrum Mobile service only uses geolocation information to optimize its service and does not sell to or share it with third parties, including advertisers, the company told the Federal Communications Commission. Charter assured Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel that the company has been, and will continue to be, completely transparent about its privacy practices, and explicitly requests permission to collect customer geolocation data—which Charter limits to data that will "optimize service." 

Protecting students from exposure to harmful online content

Over the past two years, school districts have sent kids home with laptops and tablets in unprecedented numbers. Thousands of these devices and the internet connections that power them have been purchased through two federal subsidy programs overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) known as E-Rate and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF).  Giving students these devices has led to a dramatic increase in screen time and made it more difficult for parents to protect their children from exposure to objectively harmful online content.

State Department looks to strengthen public-private partnerships to create robust US digital infrastructure

Senior Official at the State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Jennifer Bachus is working with private sector leaders in an effort to strengthen the public-private technology partnerships, a key tenant in the Biden Administration’s plan to create a robust digital infrastructure in the US. The key policy initiatives being addressed include internet connectivity, data policy and its impacts on cybersecurity, cyber workforce development, and free expression and safety online.

FTC Releases Commercial Surveillance and Data Security Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is asking the public to weigh in on whether new rules are needed to protect people’s privacy and information in the commercial surveillance economy. Commercial surveillance is the business of collecting, analyzing, and profiting from information about people. Technologies essential to everyday life also enable near-constant surveillance of people’s private lives.

House Passes Consumer Protection Bills

The House of Representatives passed three consumer protection and commerce bills including:

H.R. 3962, the “Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2021,” was introduced by Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and 32 original bipartisan cosponsors. The bill allows a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and perform notarizations for remotely located individuals.  The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 336-90.

Why suspected Chinese spy gear remains in America’s telecom networks

The US is still struggling to complete the break up with Chinese telecom companies that Donald Trump started four years ago. The problem: Small communications networks, largely in rural areas, are saddled with old Chinese equipment they can’t afford to remove and which they can’t repair if it breaks. The companies say they want to ditch the Chinese tech, but promised funds from Congress aren’t coming quickly enough and aren’t enough to cover the cost.

FCC needs an additional $3 billion for Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, Chairwoman Rosenworcel Says

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC needs an additional $3 billion to fund the removal and replacement of telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE over national security concerns, which would bring the total cost of the program to $4.98 billion. In a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Rosenworcel said without extra funds, the FCC would use the "prioritization scheme" specified by Congress for the program.

FCC Announces Supply Chain Reimbursement Program Approved Applications

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau announces the approved applications for reimbursement submitted in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The funding made available through these approvals will support providers of advanced communications services as they remove potential national security vulnerabilities from their systems. A total of 181 applications seeking approximately $5.6 billion in gross program support were filed in the Reimbursement Program.

Computer Refurbishing and Cybersecurity on House Agenda

The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives announced bills that will be considered under suspension of the rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-thirds majority vote. The bills include:

Elon Musk’s Starlink aid to Ukraine triggers scrutiny in China over US military links

In the days after Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine, Elon Musk made the decision to support Kyiv. Fewer than 48 hours later, Musk’s commercial rocket and satellite business SpaceX dispatched a shipment of Starlink satellite kits to fortify the country’s internet network against Putin’s forces. Musk was commended by the west but his aid was viewed differently by China, a critical growth market for his business empire, where Tesla makes a quarter of its revenues.

FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Provides an Update on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act

On June 15, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sent Sen Maria Cantwell (D-WA) a letter providing an update on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. "Congress charged the Federal Communications Commission with developing a Reimbursement Program to assist with the removal, replacement, and disposal of equipment that could pose a risk to the security of our nation’s communications networks," said Rosenworcel.

Russia Is Taking Over Ukraine’s Internet

Since the end of May 2022, the 280,000 people living in Kherson, Ukraine and its surrounding areas have faced constant online disruptions as internet service providers are forced to reroute their connections throu

Chairwoman Rosenworcel's Update on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program

In a letter to Members of Congress on June 1, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that the FCC's Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program s application review process is well underway. The review to date has concluded that many of the applications the agency has received are materially deficient. This is typically because they lack an adequate cost estimate or sufficient supporting materials.

House and Senate Leaders Release Bipartisan Discussion Draft of Data Privacy Bill

House and Senate leaders released a discussion draft of a comprehensive national data privacy and data security framework. The draft legislation is the first comprehensive privacy proposal to gain bipartisan, bicameral support. The American Data Privacy and Protection Act would:

VPN provider pulls out of India over push to ‘limit internet freedom’

An order by Indian regulators requiring Internet companies to store their users’ real names and track their usage history has alarmed digital privacy advocates and virtual private network providers, which have begun to pull out of the country in protest. ExpressVPN, a leading virtual private network firm based in the British Virgin Islands, said that it would shut down its servers in India.

FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Responds to Senators Regarding the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded to Sens Peters (D-MI), Wicker (R-MS), Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Thune (R-SD) regarding their concerns about the reimbursement requests that the FCC has received through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program.

Chinese Telecom Equipment Remains in US Long After Orders to Rip It Out

It’s been three years since US officials sounded the alarm: Citing national security threats, the White House, Congress and federal agencies began ordering that certain Chinese-made equipment had to be ripped out from telecommunications and security networks. But delays, deferrals and a serious funding shortfall have left that threat largely unaddressed, and Chinese technology remains in place throughout the US — including in some surprising places. More than 100 telecom providers are still connecting mobile phone calls for hundreds of thousands of customers with gear from Huawei and ZTE.

FBI Conducted Potentially Millions of Searches of Americans’ Data Last Year

The Federal Bureau of Investigation performed potentially millions of searches of American electronic data in 2021 without a warrant, US intelligence officials said April 29, a revelation likely to stoke longstanding concerns in Congress about government surveillance and privacy.