The federal government needs to be more transparent on its discovery of software vulnerabilities and more frequently disclose vulnerabilities, security experts said Monday during a Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee event. DOJ's standoff with Apple over an attempt to force the company to help the FBI unlock an iPhone 5c (see 1602170068 and 1603290059) raised new questions about government use of vulnerabilities and vulnerability disclosure standards, said Rapid7 Public Policy Director Harley Geiger.
Rivals slammed an "anti-competitive ploy" by AT&T and Verizon to raise broadband prices on business customers as the FCC reviews its treatment of business data services (BDS). In filings, members of the Broadband Coalition, Incompas and others "sounded the alarm" on the Bells' "latest attempt to manipulate the market" through "lock-up sales conditions," said a release Monday from the coalition. Members include EarthLink, Level 3 and Windstream.
Rivals slammed an "anti-competitive ploy" by AT&T and Verizon to raise broadband prices on business customers as the FCC reviews its treatment of business data services (BDS). In filings, members of the Broadband Coalition, Incompas and others "sounded the alarm" on the Bells' "latest attempt to manipulate the market" through "lock-up sales conditions," said a release Monday from the coalition. Members include EarthLink, Level 3 and Windstream.
The federal government needs to be more transparent on its discovery of software vulnerabilities and more frequently disclose vulnerabilities, security experts said Monday during a Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee event. DOJ's standoff with Apple over an attempt to force the company to help the FBI unlock an iPhone 5c (see 1602170068 and 1603290059) raised new questions about government use of vulnerabilities and vulnerability disclosure standards, said Rapid7 Public Policy Director Harley Geiger.
Civil rights groups and others asked the FCC to do more to protect consumers as telecom carriers migrate from traditional phone services to IP-based, broadband technologies. The advocates said "high quality, affordable and reliable voice and high-speed broadband services" should be provided to all Americans and consumer protection maintained during the technology transitions. Separately, incumbent telcos pressed for streamlined regulatory treatment in tariffing and discontinuing legacy voice services. They were among the parties lobbying the commission last week as it plans, at its Thursday meeting, to consider a tech transitions item taking various actions (see 1606240069).
Civil rights groups and others asked the FCC to do more to protect consumers as telecom carriers migrate from traditional phone services to IP-based, broadband technologies. The advocates said "high quality, affordable and reliable voice and high-speed broadband services" should be provided to all Americans and consumer protection maintained during the technology transitions. Separately, incumbent telcos pressed for streamlined regulatory treatment in tariffing and discontinuing legacy voice services. They were among the parties lobbying the commission last week as it plans, at its Thursday meeting, to consider a tech transitions item taking various actions (see 1606240069).
Only a “limited window of time” remains for Congress to intervene to stop the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) transition from occurring as scheduled Sept. 30, said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during a Heritage Foundation-TechFreedom event Thursday. Cruz has led Senate skeptics of the IANA transition, most recently by bowing the Protecting Internet Freedom Act (S-3034) last month. S-3034 and its House companion (HR-5418) would prohibit NTIA from allowing the IANA transition unless Congress “expressly grants” the NTIA administrator the authority to allow it (see 1606080044).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., tore into FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, attacking the substance of his policies, the partisanship of the agency’s votes. and in particular the possible disclosure of nonpublic information from the chairman’s office, subject to ongoing investigation from the FCC inspector general. Thune spent more than 15 minutes on the chamber floor Thursday citing his many objections to Wheeler’s leadership.
The House’s FY 2017 FCC funding bill will retain an attack on the FCC’s net neutrality order and gain an attack on the proposed ISP privacy rules. Lawmakers approved the floor amendment from Commerce Committee Vice Chairwoman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., to stop any funding “being used to implement, administer or enforce any of the rules proposed in the [NPRM] adopted by the FCC on March 31, 2016 (FCC 16-39), intended to regulate consumer privacy obligations as necessitated by the FCC’s net neutrality regime.”
The House’s FY 2017 FCC funding bill will retain an attack on the FCC’s net neutrality order and gain an attack on the proposed ISP privacy rules. Lawmakers approved the floor amendment from Commerce Committee Vice Chairwoman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., to stop any funding “being used to implement, administer or enforce any of the rules proposed in the [NPRM] adopted by the FCC on March 31, 2016 (FCC 16-39), intended to regulate consumer privacy obligations as necessitated by the FCC’s net neutrality regime.”