States can no longer take a perimeter approach to cybersecurity, and need to look at systems in terms of threat and impact, said Terrorism Research Center CEO Matt Devost, in a presentation at the National Governors Association (NGA) annual meeting Sunday. Cybersecurity needs to be managed in terms of “what systems are in use, how they are used and the vulnerability profile,” he said. Not all data are critical, and critical decisions need to be made to identify the points with the highest threat and impact to organizations, said Devost. “If you try to protect everything, you don’t protect anything at all."

The White House announcement Thursday that Mike O'Rielly would be the nominee as the next Republican member of the FCC, replacing Robert McDowell (CD Aug 2 p1), was welcomed by most industry associations Friday. In a twist, some industry lobbyists told us they now believe the Senate could move more quickly than expected to confirm O'Rielly and Democrat Tom Wheeler, designated to be the next chairman of the agency. Industry officials also said they're hearing that acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn may move the scheduled Sept. 27 FCC meeting to the previous week, which would give her a final meeting as head of the commission and save Wheeler from having to chair a meeting in what could be his first few days at the agency.

The White House announcement Thursday that Mike O'Rielly would be the nominee as the next Republican member of the FCC, replacing Robert McDowell, was welcomed by most industry associations Friday. In a twist, some industry lobbyists told us they now believe the Senate could move more quickly than expected to confirm O'Rielly and Democrat Tom Wheeler, designated to be the next chairman of the agency. Industry officials also said they're hearing that acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn may move the scheduled Sept. 27 FCC meeting to the previous week, which would give her a final meeting as head of the commission and save Wheeler from having to chair a meeting in what could be his first few days at the agency.

The FCC Wireless Bureau extended the reply comment deadline on an NPRM on combating contraband cellphones in correctional facilities from Friday to Aug. 23. The bureau said it acted at the request of the American Correctional Association. “ACA states it will be holding its annual summer meeting on August 9-14, 2013, and issues relating to managed access services and contraband devices, including issues raised by the FCC’s pending proceeding, will be discussed at the conference,” the bureau said (http://bit.ly/12JgMIe). “ACA believes that further discussion of the issues by its membership at the meeting will enable it to submit more complete reply comments."

FirstNet made two big hires, as one board member reiterated past concerns about how the board is operating. It hired T.J. Kennedy, formerly director-public safety and security at Raytheon, to be its deputy general manager, and Ed Parkinson, ex-staff member for the House Homeland Security Committee, as director-government affairs, it said in a news release Wednesday (http://1.usa.gov/133rbJG). FirstNet board member Paul Fitzgerald, sheriff of Story County, Iowa, Wednesday reiterated past concerns about the motion regarding FirstNet’s transparency he attempted to offer in April. Fitzgerald said he has received “several inquiries” on the FirstNet Special Review Committee the board formed after his concerns were raised. “As part of that process, in mid-July, I presented a lengthy document for review and supporting evidence in relation to each of the points I raised in my motion to the lawyers acting as counsel to the Special Review Committee,” Fitzgerald wrote in a news release earlier Wednesday. “Prior to my meeting with the Special Review Committee, I met with and presented that document and supporting evidence to the Inspector General Department of Commerce and his staff.” He won’t comment on the presentation as all parties continue their investigations, but is “hopeful” FirstNet will improve transparency through reforms, he said. He called the April motion “a last resort, after having been unable to obtain any meaningful responses to my often-raised concerns within the FirstNet Board.”

The Food and Drug Administration raised potential fiscal year 2014 fees for import reinspections, domestic and foreign facility reinspections, and recall activities performed by FDA if a firm fails to comply with a mandatory recall order, though it still isn't invoicing for services associated with the fees. The FY 2014 fees of $237/hour for domestic services and $302/hour if foreign travel is required are higher than the FY 2013 fees of $221/hour and $289/hour, respectively. The fees are effective Oct. 1.

Commissioner Julie Brill supports having the FTC use its authority under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act to study the business practices of patent assertion entities and examine how such PAE practices affect competition and consumer interests, she said Wednesday. Section 6(b) of the FTC Act gives the agency the authority to do a full investigation of an industry’s business practices, including issuing subpoenas, and report their findings to Congress and the public. Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said in June that the commission should initiate a 6(b) study of PAEs, but didn’t say she would formally ask the commission to vote to start one (CD June 21 p16). Brill told us after an American Constitution Society event that Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen has also said she supports conducting a 6(b) study. Ohlhausen and fellow Commissioner Joshua Wright did not respond to a request for comment.

Commissioner Julie Brill supports having the FTC use its authority under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act to study the business practices of patent assertion entities and examine how such PAE practices affect competition and consumer interests, she said Wednesday. Section 6(b) of the FTC Act gives the agency the authority to do a full investigation of an industry’s business practices, including issuing subpoenas, and report their findings to Congress and the public. Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said in June that the commission should initiate a 6(b) study of PAEs, but didn’t say she would formally ask the commission to vote to start one (WID June 21 p9). Brill told us after an American Constitution Society event that Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen has also said she supports conducting a 6(b) study. Ohlhausen and fellow Commissioner Joshua Wright did not respond to a request for comment.

The House Judiciary Committee voted to approve legislation that would let consumers circumvent firmware on their cellphones to use those phones on another network. The committee approved a manager’s amendment Wednesday to the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (HR-1123) that would permit third-party individuals to assist consumers in unlocking their phones. Several Democrats, including Rep. Mel Watt of North Carolina and Jerrold Nadler of New York, sparred at the markup over an eventually successful amendment introduced the evening before by Reps. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., that would let family members of cellphone users unlock that phone as well. The final bill, with the manager’s amendment and the Chaffetz-Lofgren amendment, will now proceed to the floor. Its language takes a slightly more narrow approach than other legislative attempts to permit cellphone users to unlock their phones.

The House Judiciary Committee voted to approve legislation that would let consumers circumvent firmware on their cellphones to use those phones on another network. The committee approved a manager’s amendment Wednesday to the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (HR-1123) that would permit third-party individuals to assist consumers in unlocking their phones. Several Democrats, including Rep. Mel Watt of North Carolina and Jerrold Nadler of New York, sparred at the markup over an eventually successful amendment introduced the evening before by Reps. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., that would let family members of cellphone users unlock that phone as well. The final bill, with the manager’s amendment and the Chaffetz-Lofgren amendment, will now proceed to the floor. Its language takes a slightly more narrow approach than other legislative attempts to permit cellphone users to unlock their phones.