Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) has not-so-quietly revolutionized the global flow of information during times of conflict. By piecing together publicly available content, like satellite images, cellphone videos, and social media posts, open-source analysts cut through the fog of war, exposing and publicizing critical intelligence once monopolized by state authorities. For Palestinians, open-source intelligence is a double-edged sword. On one hand, OSINT offers Palestinians low-cost, relatively accessible tools to collect and disseminate valuable information about the conflict in their regi

Elon Musk’s Starlink has activated its satellite broadband service in Iran after the US allowed private companies to offer uncensored internet access to the country amid protests that have caused more than 40 deaths. Starlink is the first in a new generation of satellite networks operating in low-Earth orbit that are designed to provide high-bandwidth internet connections from space directly to individual users. Starlink users are able to bypass a country’s terrestrial communications networks, freeing them from internet censorship.

The Federal Communications Commission lists Pacific Network Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary ComNet (USA) LLC and China Unicom (Americas) Operations Limited on its list of communications equipment and services that have been deemed a threat to national security. The actions implement recommendations in letters filed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)  on behalf of Executive Branch interagency bodies.

Digital assets present potential opportunities to reinforce US leadership in the global financial system and remain at the technological frontier. President Biden’s March 9, 2022 Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets outlined the first whole-of-government approach to addressing the risks and harnessing the potential benefits of digital assets and their underlying technology. Agencies across the government have worked together to develop frameworks and policy recommendations that advance the six key priorities identified in the Order:

President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint highly qualified and diverse industry and government leaders as members of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which advises the White House on how to reduce physical and cyber risks and improve the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors. Appointees include:

Charter's Spectrum Mobile service only uses geolocation information to optimize its service and does not sell to or share it with third parties, including advertisers, the company told the Federal Communications Commission. Charter assured Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel that the company has been, and will continue to be, completely transparent about its privacy practices, and explicitly requests permission to collect customer geolocation data—which Charter limits to data that will "optimize service." 

Over the past two years, school districts have sent kids home with laptops and tablets in unprecedented numbers. Thousands of these devices and the internet connections that power them have been purchased through two federal subsidy programs overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) known as E-Rate and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF).  Giving students these devices has led to a dramatic increase in screen time and made it more difficult for parents to protect their children from exposure to objectively harmful online content.

Senior Official at the State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Jennifer Bachus is working with private sector leaders in an effort to strengthen the public-private technology partnerships, a key tenant in the Biden Administration’s plan to create a robust digital infrastructure in the US. The key policy initiatives being addressed include internet connectivity, data policy and its impacts on cybersecurity, cyber workforce development, and free expression and safety online.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is asking the public to weigh in on whether new rules are needed to protect people’s privacy and information in the commercial surveillance economy. Commercial surveillance is the business of collecting, analyzing, and profiting from information about people. Technologies essential to everyday life also enable near-constant surveillance of people’s private lives.

The House of Representatives passed three consumer protection and commerce bills including:

H.R. 3962, the “Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2021,” was introduced by Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and 32 original bipartisan cosponsors. The bill allows a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and perform notarizations for remotely located individuals.  The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 336-90.