More 'Voluntary' Cybersecurity Rules?

The Federal Communications Commission may soon urge more government action to shore up the cybersecurity posture of communications services providers in the U.S., but whether the recommendations have much bite to them remains to be seen.

FCC staff said yesterday that the agency’s national broadband plan now nearing completion may recommend creation of a “voluntary cyber security certification program” for communications service providers, as well as creation of a “cyber security information reporting system,” and a requirement for broadband service providers to submit network outage reports to the government – something that is already required of other communications service providers, although those reports are kept from public view.

At this point, it’s impossible to say what exactly will end up in the national broadband plan – which is due to be delivered to Congress on March 17 – and whether any of the plan’s recommendations, particularly those dealing with cybersecurity, could be accomplished under the FCC’s current statutory authority or whether they will have to be tossed to Congress for any action. Stay tuned here, and in TR’s Cybersecurity Policy Report.