Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said the agency’s increased efforts on cybersecurity “are showing results.” Her remarks came during a speech at the National Press Club Monday. “We continue to work with the private sector, other government national security and law enforcement agencies and the international community to mitigate the risks and reduce the potential for a malicious actor to be successful. Last year, our Computer Emergency Readiness Team responded to more than 100,000 incident reports, and released more than 5,000 actionable cybersecurity alerts to our federal, state, and private sector partners,” she said. “These efforts are showing results. In the last year alone, the U.S. Secret Service prevented $5.6 billion in potential losses through financial crime investigations and $1.5 billion through cybercrime investigations.” Last May the White House urged Congress to expand DHS authority to address and modify the U.S. response to cybersecurity threats (WID May 13 p2). But industry members and some House Republican leaders including Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, remain hesitant to give DHS the power to scrutinize the cybersecurity plans of American businesses (WID Oct 12 p1). Nevertheless, DHS is “deploying the latest tools across the federal government to protect critical systems while sharing timely and actionable security information with public and private sector partners to help them protect their own operations,” Napolitano said.
The federal communications and copyright laws should be merged because the subjects are inseparable, a U.S. Copyright Office lawyer said Monday. The U.S. “needs to get rid of all the silos and reinvent the Communications Act,” said Ben Golant, the office’s assistant general counsel. The laws could be combined in a new title of the U.S. Code that also could cover consumer protection, privacy, cybersecurity and competition, he said during a webcast Practising Law Institute seminar in New York. “This is a dream and may never happen,” Golant conceded. It might be possible politically in 2025, he said.
The federal communications and copyright laws should be merged because the subjects are inseparable, a U.S. Copyright Office lawyer said Monday. The U.S. “needs to get rid of all the silos and reinvent the Communications Act,” said Ben Golant, the office’s assistant general counsel. The laws could be combined in a new title of the U.S. Code that also could cover consumer protection, privacy, cybersecurity and competition, he said at a webcast Practising Law Institute seminar in New York. “This is a dream and may never happen,” Golant conceded. It might be possible politically in 2025, he said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission will hold a symposium on phthalates screening and testing methods on March 1, 2012, in order to review available and emerging technologies for detecting phthalates and to stimulate discussion of technological needs to improve testing methods. According to CPSC, the CPSIA’s phthalate restrictions, coupled with its testing and certification requirements, have created challenges for manufacturers, retailers, and third party testing laboratories. The symposium will also be webcast.
Some members of the Senate said they're confident there’s more agreement on cybersecurity throughout the chamber, which puts the Senate in a position to bring forth legislation soon. Some members of the technology industry agreed there seems to be less tension around issues, like information sharing and Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) reform, but other components must be ironed out.
Broadband pilots, proposed by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski as part of a revamped Lifeline program, have emerged as a likely bone of contention at the agency as work on the order continues prior to a vote Tuesday. The amount proposed by Genachowski is small -- in the $20 million range -- to be paid for by savings as the FCC clamps down on abuse, agency officials said. But some industry and FCC officials question the wisdom of looking at ways of expanding a program that is already getting bigger just paying for traditional phone service.
Some members of the Senate said they're confident there’s more agreement on cybersecurity throughout the chamber, which puts the Senate in a position to bring forth legislation soon. Some members of the technology industry agreed there seems to be less tension around issues, like information sharing and Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) reform, but other components must be ironed out.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden said Wednesday he’s watching FCC actions closely as the commission moves forward on a Lifeline order, slated for a vote at the Jan. 31 meeting. Meanwhile, AT&T said in a filing that the record shows most Lifeline customers forced to de-enroll from the program continue to pay for service afterward.
Industry participants are asking the FCC to revisit a couple of items in its recent order (CD Jan 12 p8) implementing a newer emergency alert service format that was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some EAS players told us they want the commission to rethink its decision to prohibit the use of text-to-speech and to consider the burden the rule would place on the smallest cable operators. The Common Alerting Protocol is transmitted via the Internet, and the FCC’s rules address the equipment aspects of CAP.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is soliciting private-sector members for its seven technical advisory committees which advise the Commerce Department on the technical parameters for export controls applicable to dual-use commodities and technology and on the administration of those controls. BIS states that recruitment will be open until January 16, 2013 (one year from its Federal Register publication date).