Skip to Content

Government Surveillance

CDT Comments on FCC Cybersecurity Role

The Internet is a powerful engine for driving economic opportunity, increasing the efficiency of industry, broadening the exercise of free speech, and promoting civic engagement in government. In order for these benefits to be fully realized, however, the Internet must be reasonably secure against threats posed by malicious traffic. Government cybersecurity policies are one important tool capable of promoting an appropriate level of security.

This Public Notice asked for comments on the most dangerous cybersecurity vulnerabilities for networks and users, as well as suggestions as to how best to ameliorate those vulnerabilities. It then specifically focused on several questions surrounding the role of the FCC in addressing these issues, asking what steps the FCC should take and how it should coordinate its efforts with other agencies and entities. These comments address this second set of more focused questions.

CDT believes that the FCC should recognize that a significant number of other federal agencies are working to secure networks in both the public and private sectors, including public and private communications infrastructure. In order to reduce potential conflicts with these other agencies, we believe that the Roadmap should embrace three guiding principles: limited authority, consultation, and transparency.