All federal cybersecurity efforts that don’t directly relate to defense should be consolidated within the Department of Commerce, former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., told the House Commerce Committee’s Oversight subcommittee Tuesday. The subcommittee hearing focused on determining ways to best solve cybersecurity threats to U.S. intellectual property.
Areas of general agreement among industry and state officials on cybersecurity included that the Department of Homeland Security should continue to emphasize cooperation between various companies and agencies in updating its framework, and a risk-based approach should be used, said some filings posted Tuesday. In addition to the Telecommunications Industry Association, which urged such cooperation (CD July 9 p12), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) sought coordination among various stakeholders. Under President Barack Obama’s February directive on cybersecurity, which accompanied his executive order, DHS has until later this year to update the 2009 National Infrastructure Protection Plan, the department said in a June request for comment (http://1.usa.gov/13JMGUz).
All federal cybersecurity efforts that don’t directly relate to defense should be consolidated within the Department of Commerce, former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., told the House Commerce Committee’s Oversight subcommittee Tuesday. The subcommittee hearing focused on determining ways to best solve cybersecurity threats to U.S. intellectual property.
Areas of general agreement among industry and state officials on cybersecurity included that the Department of Homeland Security should continue to emphasize cooperation between various companies and agencies in updating its framework, and a risk-based approach should be used, said some filings posted Tuesday. In addition to the Telecommunications Industry Association, which urged such cooperation (WID July 9 p8), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) sought coordination among various stakeholders. Under President Barack Obama’s February directive on cybersecurity, which accompanied his executive order, DHS has until later this year to update the 2009 National Infrastructure Protection Plan, the department said in a June request for comment (http://1.usa.gov/13JMGUz).
Congress should expand its efforts to address international intellectual property theft beyond cybersecurity legislation, former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., a member of the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property (IP Commission), is expected to say this Tuesday in testimony before the House Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations subcommittee. The IP Commission is working on issues including recommend policies that will mitigate intellectual property theft by China and others (http://1.usa.gov/11wjHmO). The subcommittee is holding the hearing to determine the scope of cybersecurity threats to U.S. intellectual property and technology, and the best legislative ways to address those threats.
Congress should expand its efforts to address international intellectual property theft beyond cybersecurity legislation, former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., a member of the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property (IP Commission), is expected to say this Tuesday in testimony before the House Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations subcommittee. The IP Commission is working on issues including recommend policies that will mitigate intellectual property theft by China and others (http://1.usa.gov/11wjHmO). The subcommittee is holding the hearing to determine the scope of cybersecurity threats to U.S. intellectual property and technology, and the best legislative ways to address those threats.
The latest draft of principles from the NARUC telecom task force still raised questions of overreach and appropriate balance regarding the role of states. Other stakeholders praised the draft and underscored the duties states should still have. The group, formed in late November and preparing a white paper for November 2013, released this draft last month (CD June 11 p13), to be discussed at NARUC’s Denver meeting in late July.
The four national wireless carriers are on target to make text-to-911 messages available to all public safety answering points capable or receiving them by a May 15, 2014, deadline, they said in reports filed this week at the National Emergency Number Association. That deadline stems from a voluntary agreement Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile signed with NENA and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials last year, under FCC pressure (CD Dec 10 p1). All four carriers said they're already transmitting bounceback messages to subscribers who try to send emergency texts before 911 call centers can handle them.
Union labor complaints in New York have sent Cablevision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The cable company filed with the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the National Labor Relations Board proceeding regarding Cablevision worker complaints, it said Monday (http://prn.to/13oqQFU). Last month, Cablevision had filed a petition for a writ of mandamus and a motion for a stay in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to stop the NLRB from following up on these labor cases in the Bronx and Brooklyn (CD June 3 p9). The case traces back to a January D.C. Circuit ruling that the NLRB’s recess appointments by President Barack Obama were invalid, raising questions about whether it has a valid quorum and the constitutionality of its recent actions. The NLRB has defended the legitimacy of its operations. “The role of Congress is to ensure a balanced NLRB and the Obama Administration bypassed Congress in order to stack the NLRB in favor of Big Labor,” Cablevision said in a statement. “Two different federal courts -- the D.C. Circuit and the Third Circuit -- have established that the NLRB is illegally constituted and has no authority to take action. The NLRB continues to ignore these rulings, and we ask the Supreme Court to compel the NLRB to immediately halt its unlawful proceedings against Cablevision.”
Facing an aging customer base and known for a two-channel legacy, Thiel Audio is continuing to define its role in a transitioning speaker market, National Sales Manager Stephen DeFuria told Consumer Electronics Daily. DeFuria, following the departure last month of Director of Product Development Gary Dayton, is leading the initiative for new product development at the Lexington, Ky.-based company, work which “Thiel desperately needs at this point,” DeFuria said.