The White House issued National Security Memorandum-22 to update the oversight and management of critical infrastructure sectors. The memo empowers the Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to coordinate efforts to secure critical infrastructure. It also directs the US intelligence community to share intelligence with infrastructure owners and operators. The memo replaces an Obama-era policy and outlines 13 requirements for agencies to meet over the next 18 months.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to reclaim some oversight duties over broadband providers. This dissolves the 2017 agreement, under which the FTC took on enforcement duties after the repeal of net neutrality rules. The move restores the FCC’s authority to regulate broadband providers and ensure consumer privacy protections.
Alabama has expanded its child pornography law to include deepfake images created by artificial intelligence following a cyberbullying incident at a middle school. Governor Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Child Protection Act of 2024, inspired by the incident, to protect children from the potential dangers of AI.
Officials in Washington rallied to emphasize the importance of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the repercussions of its imminent end. The program has provided low or no-cost internet to 23 million American households, addressing affordability barriers. Starting today, enrolled households will only receive a partial credit towards their monthly internet costs, leading to potential disconnections. Advocates are pushing for an extension of the program through the ACP Extension Act, which aims to allocate $7 billion. The White House sees the ACP as essential for achieving Internet for All by 2030. Members of Congress are urged to support the program’s continuation.
New laws have been introduced in the UK to protect consumers and businesses from hacking and cyber-attacks. Manufacturers of internet-connected smart devices are now required to implement minimum security standards, including banning easily guessable default passwords.
Why do we care?
The directive for intelligence sharing is particularly important, as it allows infrastructure operators to anticipate and mitigate threats before they materialize. A culture of information sharing takes investment, and here we see the government doing their part.
Certain laws just make sense. Deepfakes of minors, safer default passwords – and ultimately have to be implemented to occur.
Listeners know I’m pro-broadband – I think it’s good business.