Government and company information security professionals spent the week fending off a simulated cyberattack on the nation’s infrastructure in a Department of Homeland Security exercise. Cyber Storm II continues a series of Congressionally-mandated exercises testing U.S. cybersecurity response. The week-long event included participants from 18 federal agencies, nine states, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and more than 40 companies including McAfee, Microsoft, Wachovia, and Cisco.
GENEVA -- Europe and developing countries proposed a wide range of new work on copyright and related rights in three days of meetings this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Work will focus on protecting audiovisual performances and broadcasting organizations, and copyright exceptions and limitations.
American Shipper reports that according to homeland security analyst Stephen Flynn, the U.S. will need to enlist the foreign-owned companies that dominate the maritime sector by creating incentives for shipping lines, terminal operators, logistics providers and shippers to do a better job securing the global supply networks they control and understand, if the U.S. is ever to achieve a high level of security. (American Shipper, dated February 2008, www.americanshipper.com)
Telecom companies should be “very concerned” that regulators may stymie rollout of next-generation networks, consultant Analysys said Tuesday. Today’s rules may not fit the development of converged multiservice fiber and Internet Protocol and Ethernet-based architecture, co-author Tim Hills said in a report on “regulatory headaches in the transition to next-generation networks.” Current regulation was designed to spur competition in a fairly stable industry where investments were made decades ago, he said. Three broad concerns are emerging: (1) How to foster next-gen investment amid huge costs, uncertain rewards, and intense competition. (2) How to cope when fully converged services align historically separate players such as media, telecom companies, Web 2.0 businesses and applications providers. (3) How to support general policy and socioeconomic goals as next-gen networks matter more in national infrastructure and services. The report urges regulators to rethink their take on competition and decide how much and what kind they want in advanced telecom.
The Senate Energy and Commerce Committee has issued a press release announcing that its Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee met on February 28th to consider legislation to ban or severely restrict the manufacture and distribution in commerce of asbestos-containing products. Imports of asbestos-containing products would also be prohibited. (Subcommittee press release, dated 02/28/08, available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110st133.shtml)
Telecom companies should be “very concerned” that regulators may stymie rollout of next-generation networks, consultant Analysys said Tuesday. Today’s rules may not fit the development of converged multiservice fiber and Internet Protocol and Ethernet-based architecture, co-author Tim Hills said in a report on “regulatory headaches in the transition to next-generation networks.” Current regulation was designed to spur competition in a fairly stable industry where investments were made decades ago, he said. Three broad concerns are emerging: (1) How to foster next-gen investment amid huge costs, uncertain rewards, and intense competition. (2) How to cope when fully converged services align historically separate players such as media, telecom companies, Web 2.0 businesses and applications providers. (3) How to support general policy and socioeconomic goals as next-gen networks matter more in national infrastructure and services. The report urges regulators to rethink their take on competition and decide how much and what kind they want in advanced telecom.
STANFORD, Calif. -- Openness advocates balked at a proposal by the originator of the net neutrality doctrine that they fight to free the D block 700 MHz wireless spectrum of exclusive licenses and public-safety use. The pioneer, Columbia law Professor Tim Wu, also advocated on a conference panel that squatters start using unlicensed devices as acts of civil disobedience.
The Journal of Commerce reports that even though enrollment for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential has been initiated across the U.S. and at least ten companies are building or adapting existing equipment to read a TWIC using contactless radio-frequency identification technology, the Transportation Security Administration is not ready to say when TWIC readers will be deployed. However, industry should begin to see the first units in testing this year. (JoC, dated 02/18/08, www.joc.com)
With Verizon Wireless expected to emerge as top bidder for C-block spectrum in the 700 MHz auction, debate persists on a key question - how significant is a requirement that the winning bidder provide an “open platform” for applications and devices? Verizon has committed to open its networks. Critics say the carrier could get the spectrum on the cheap with only a requirement that lives up to commitments already made. The debate likely will intensify in coming weeks after the FCC names the 700 MHz auction winners.
Public safety groups asked the FCC to examine the responsibilities carriers and public safety answering points have regarding 911 calls from old phones no longer part of a valid service plan. PSAP officials complain they're inundated with prank calls made using old phones that can’t be traced since carriers still allow 911 calls from the phones. Tennessee officials say PSAPs there had to deal with more than 10,000 of the calls in a single three-month period.