National Security and Public Safety
The White House recognizes the communications industry as one of the nation's most critical infrastructures, a key underpinning of economic and homeland security. Communications networks are depended upon by:
- the general public for daily communications needs
- banks, Wall Street, and financial institutions for clearing and settling transactions
- first responders and law enforcement when responding to disasters and emergency calls
- businesses of all sizes requiring reliable and resilient communications
- It is extremely important to the nation and your business to have a secure infrastructure that protects your network and assets from threats, including:
- viruses and other cyber criminals
- denial of service attacks
- phishing, pharming and other cyber scams
- natural and man-made disasters
USTelecom has created this page as a resource for tools, information and contacts that help you take an active role in securing your business.
Pandemic Planning
DHS Guide Available:
The Department of Homeland Security has released the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, Response and Recovery Guide for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources. The guide is prepared for the benefit of owners and operators of the nation's critical infrastructures, including communications, energy and banking and finance, to enhance pandemic planning. It includes background materials and provides an overview of the pandemic threat and articulates the roles and responsibilities for public and private sectors. In addition, the guide outlines the implications of a pandemic on businesses and offers business continuity guidelines based on escalating pandemic phases. More information is available at www.pandemicflu.gov and www.ready.gov.
USTelecom's Role in Homeland Security
Regulations and Communications:
USTelecom works closely with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on both policy and operational issues in order to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of communications companies are being considered in the development of federal regulations, plans and strategies. In particular, DHS' National Communications System (NCS) is responsible for coordinating communications services between the federal government and service providers during natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.
NSTAC:
USTelecom is a leading member of the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). NSTAC provides recommendations to the President on national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications, examining issues related to next generation network security and authentication, the interdependencies between telecommunications and electric power and finance sectors, and first responder communications and interoperability.
Emergency Preparedness:
All service providers, regardless of size or service area, have an important role to play in homeland security. Being proactive and developing a business continuity or emergency preparedness plan and deploying physical and cyber security measures allows a provider to maintain or quickly restore services following an incident. The Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC), a voluntary forum of telecommunications vendors and suppliers, has developed security prevention best practices and has posted them on the NRIC Web site. The searchable database allows providers to identify appropriate recommendations taking into account a variety of factors.
Cyber Security:
USTelecom, in partnership with DHS' National Cyber SecurityDivision, has developed a cyber security page designed to help small businesses understand the needs and benefits of securing their networks and computer systems, as well as helping them make sense of cyber security priorities.
Business Opportunities in Managing Security
Providing managed security services to enterprise customers is a potential revenue stream for many service providers. In addition to offering dedicated circuits and special services for critical communications needs, communications companies have business recovery capabilities that can be mobilized following an incident or they provide technical expertise to help enterprise customers secure their IT networks from cyber threats. One unique example is AT&T's Internet Security News Network, which provides information and analysis to enterprise customers to safeguard systems from threats and intrusions. Many other USTelecom members provide professional security services that include expert analysis to help enterprise customers assess vulnerabilities and design secure systems tailored to the critical functions and requirements of individual customers.
Links to More Information: