Mandatory FCC cyber rules for telcos sought by new Senate legislation

Increasing concerns regarding the cybersecurity posture of U.S. telecommunications firms following the sweeping cyberespionage campaign of Chinese state-sponsored threat operation Salt Typhoon has prompted Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to introduce a new measure that would compel the Federal Communications Commission to establish cybersecurity regulations and requirements in adherence to a three-decade-old law, BleepingComputer reports.

Aside from requiring yearly vulnerability testing, patching, and documentation, U.S. telcos would also be mandated to ensure compliance with FCC cybersecurity rules through independent auditors, according to Wyden's Secure Communications Act. "It was inevitable that foreign hackers would burrow deep into the American communications system the moment the FCC decided to let phone companies write their own cybersecurity rules... Congress needs to step up and pass mandatory security rules to finally secure our telecom system against an infestation of hackers and spies," said Wyden. Such a development comes days after FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel committed to bolstering the agency's actions in ensuring the security of telecommunication firms' networks.