On April 15, FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced her intention to recharter for the eighth time the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), a federal advisory committee whose purpose is to provide the Commission with technical advice and recommendations on pressing communications-related matters.
In light of the spate of recent cyberattacks, in particular the SolarWinds SUNBURST hack that was perpetrated last year and which last week prompted President Biden to impose sanctions on Russia, Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel will task the latest iteration of CSRIC with preparing for "the challenges of today and tomorrow" via "a coordinated, multifaceted, and strategic approach to protecting our networks from all threats."
According to the Public Notice, CSRIC VIII will address:
[A] range of public safety- and homeland security-related communications matters, including: (1) the security and reliability of communications systems and infrastructure; (2) 911, Enhanced 911 (E911), and Next Generation 911 (NG911); (3) emergency alerting; and (4) national security/emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications, including law enforcement access to communications.
However, the Press Release makes clear that the "primary focus" of CSRIC VIII will be 5G network security.
June 1 is the deadline to submit nominations for members and a chairperson. Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel's goal is a diverse council that includes representatives from both the private sector and other federal agencies "with similar interests."
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