Telecom
FCC votes to reverse telecom security rulemaking issued under Biden
The vote has drawn significant concern from congressional Democrats, who say it will weaken the security posture of telecom systems. The initial measure was enacted in response to Chinese hacks of U.S. telecom providers discovered last year.
Dem lawmakers renew calls for release of delayed telecom security report
In a letter to DHS and ODNI, Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Mark Warner of Virginia said the release of a 2022 report detailing cyber vulnerabilities in the U.S. telecommunications sector is “critically important to U.S. national security.”
FCC to vote on reversing telecom security rulemakings next month
The initial measures proposed at the end of the Biden administration came in response to the Salt Typhoon telecom hacks carried out by China.
FCC initiates process to ban Hong Kong Telecom in US
The agency has previously barred China-linked communications providers from operating on American soil.
CISA to release telecom security report as its director nominee nears confirmation
The 2022 report, which has not been made publicly available, has been used as leverage by Senator Ron Wyden to hold Sean Plankey from being confirmed as director of CISA.
T-Mobile is using 5G, drones and AI to help first responders
The provider’s T-Priority 5G network slicing solution aims to give first responders enhanced connectivity services in disaster zones.
FBI asks public for tips about Salt Typhoon telecom hacks
Salt Typhoon accessed at least nine U.S. telecom firms and their systems that facilitate legal access requests for law enforcement.
Chinese telcos provide backbone for US allies’ mobile traffic, raising espionage concerns
A report from iVerify and other researchers found that mobile networks in countries like Japan, South Korea and New Zealand route telecom traffic through Chinese state-backed infrastructure.
Senator puts hold on Trump cyber nominee, citing ‘cover up’ of telecom security report
An unreleased 2022 report is said to contain vital information about the security posture of the U.S. telecommunications sector, according to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is blocking Sean Plankey’s nomination to lead CISA.
FCC to investigate potential US operations of restricted Chinese firms
The commission’s new chairman, Brendan Carr, believes that some or all of the companies on the FCC’s Covered List are still operating in the nation.
NVIDIA and MITRE announce AI-powered 6G project
The chip manufacturer and defense research firm will work with telecommunications companies to embed artificial intelligence into next generation wireless networking.
Salt Typhoon hackers exploited stolen credentials and a 7-year-old software flaw in Cisco systems
The Chinese hacking collective has widely leveraged vulnerabilities in communications infrastructure to breach dozens of telecom providers in the U.S. and overseas.
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Salt Typhoon hackers possibly targeted telecom research at US universities
Recorded Future’s latest findings shed light on how widespread the Salt Typhoon campaign has become since it was uncovered last year.
Salt Typhoon breach was first detected on federal networks, CISA head says
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly said the group was first detected “before we understood it was Salt Typhoon.”
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GAO mulls cost evaluation of nationwide telecom hardware replacement
One major vulnerability exploited by China’s Salt Typhoon hacking unit is a Cisco hardware flaw that can’t be patched and requires physical replacement, according to a person with knowledge of the intrusions.
Hundreds of organizations were notified of potential Salt Typhoon compromise
Some of the exploited vulnerabilities have had fixes available for several years. One provider’s management system was protected with a basic numeric password.
Senate bill would require FCC to issue binding cyber rules for telecom firms
The measure from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. comes in the wake of Chinese-backed hackers breaching a swath of major telecommunications providers.
FCC proposes updates to wiretap security standards following Chinese telecom hacks
Several lawmakers have called for the agency to reform wiretap standards governed by the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA.
At least 8 US carriers hit in Chinese telecom hacks, senior official says
The hacks carried out by the Salt Typhoon group impacted a couple dozen countries and may have been ongoing for one to two years, the official said.
Senators call for investigation of DOD’s comms following Chinese telecom breach
“DOD’s failure to secure its unclassified voice, video and text communications with end-to-end encryption technology has left it needlessly vulnerable to foreign espionage,” Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote to the Pentagon’s inspector general.
