Mounting nation-state cybersecurity threats against the U.S. telecommunications sector, as evidenced by the recent cyberespionage campaign by Chinese state-backed hacking group Salt Typhoon, have prompted the Federal Communications Commission to establish a new Council on National Security that has been granted several authorities to counter increasingly aggressive intrusions, Cybersecurity Dive reports.
Aside from curbing the U.S. tech and telco supply chains' reliance on foreign adversaries, such a new FCC unit — which will be headed by FCC National Security Counsel Adam Chan — also aims to address security weaknesses leveraged by nation-states, as well as secure the U.S.'s victory in developing and implementing 5G, quantum computing, robotics, IoT, and other critical technologies over China.
Experts have regarded the newly created FCC unit as a logical step in dealing with significant risks faced by the U.S. telecommunications industry.
"We hope that this new council will be a guiding but not punitive force to secure and strengthen telecommunications infrastructure," said Forrestor Principal Analyst of Security and Risk Allie Mellen.
