January 2015

Feds get a how-to guide for responding to social media hacks

The SocialGov community -- hundreds of digital engagement managers across government -- has launched the Social Media Cyber Vandalism Toolkit, which is now available as a 'living document' for continued enhancement and expansion to match evolving technologies.

"We hope experts both within and outside government will continue to improve and expand upon with more training and resources as they develop,” Justin Herman, one of the working group’s members, wrote. Herman noted representatives from all major social media platforms were invited to participate as well. If you’re a government worker whose job in any way involves dealing with your department’s social media accounts, the toolkit is worth a look. It provides an exhaustive look at the three phases of handling social media security issues: readiness, recovery and response.

FCC Enforcement Advisory Warning that Wi-Fi Blocking is Prohibited

Willful or malicious interference with Wi-Fi hot spots is illegal. Wi-Fi blocking violates Section 333 of the Communications Act.

The Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau has seen a disturbing trend in which hotels and other commercial establishments block wireless consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the commercial establishment’s premises. As a result, the Bureau is protecting consumers by aggressively investigating and acting against such unlawful intentional interference.

If you have reason to believe your personal Wi-Fi hot spot has been blocked, you can file a complaint with the FCC. To do so, you can visit www.fcc.gov/complaints or call 1-888-CALL-FCC. If you contact the FCC, you are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible regarding the potential Wi-Fi blocking, including the date, time, location, and possible source.

FCC Chairman Wheeler on Protecting Consumers From Hotel Wi-Fi Blocking

Consumers must get what they pay for. The Communications Act prohibits anyone from willfully or maliciously interfering with authorized radio communications, including Wi-Fi. Marriott’s request seeking the Federal Communication Commission’s blessing to block guests’ use of non-Marriott networks is contrary to this basic principle. Protecting consumers from this kind of interference is a priority area for the FCC Enforcement Bureau. The Enforcement Bureau recently imposed a $600,000 fine on Marriott for this kind of conduct, and the FCC will continue to enforce the Communications Act if others act similarly.

Remarks of FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel on State of Wi-Fi

We need to make Wi-Fi a priority in spectrum policy. So here are three ideas to make it happen.

First, let’s commit to finding more spectrum for Wi-Fi and unlicensed activity.
Second, let’s take a fresh look at how Congress accounts for our airwaves. I think it is time to develop a multiplier that accounts for the billions of dollars of activity that new unlicensed spectrum can generate in the economy. Because making small accounting changes could be the ticket to bigger Wi-Fi opportunities in the future.
Third, let’s make clear that we will not tolerate malicious or willful interference with Wi-Fi. A bunch of hotels banded together and asked the Federal Communications Commission to bless their ability to block hotel guests from using their own Wi-Fi connections under the guise of network security concerns. There are other ways to address legitimate security concerns -- but this is a bad idea. Having more ways to connect in more places makes us stronger -- and will help grow our economy as the Internet grows less visible because it becomes a part of everything we do. So let’s not let this petition linger or create any uncertainty. I hope my colleagues at the FCC will work with me to dismiss this petition without delay. I believe the future of wireless connectivity will be stronger if we make room for more Wi-Fi.

FTC Report on Internet of Things Urges Companies to Adopt Best Practices to Address Consumer Privacy and Security Risks

In a detailed report on the Internet of Things, the staff of the Federal Trade Commission recommend a series of concrete steps that businesses can take to enhance and protect consumers’ privacy and security, as Americans start to reap the benefits from a growing world of Internet-connected devices.

The report is partly based on input from leading technologists and academics, industry representatives, consumer advocates and others who participated in the FTC’s Internet of Things workshop held in Washington DC on Nov 19, 2013, as well as those who submitted public comments to the FTC. Security was one of the main topics addressed at the workshop and in the comments, particularly due to the highly networked nature of the devices. In addition to the report, the FTC also released a new publication for businesses containing advice about how to build security into products connected to the Internet of Things. “Careful Connections: Building Security in the Internet of Things” encourages companies to implement a risk-based approach and take advantage of best practices developed by security experts, such as using strong encryption and proper authentication.

The challenges of standards in industrial Internet of Things

One thing industrial Internet of Things has in common with consumer IoT is that standards remain a hurdle to adoption. Industrial IoT encompasses manufacturing and machine control but also is broad and includes areas like smart cities, transportation, oil and gas, and distributed power generation.

Having a common time standard, for example, is critical to coordinating tasks on a network. Additionally, there are reliability standards related to reserving bandwidth for traffic and mechanisms for latency control so that measurements on different parts of a network can be reliably understood. If you think of a networked factory floor and you ask different nodes what time it is, you need highly consistent answer if you intend to add safe and reliable control to that network. Improving interoperability at the industrial level would create a free flow of data, which in itself is critical because it would unlock analytics and business intelligence opportunities. But to get to some of the more advanced analytics, we first need consistent and reliable data. The siloing and stranding of data will become an increasing issue for enterprise going forward.

Internet of things needs global privacy push, says UK regulator

The UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has called for international industry standards on privacy in the Internet of Things.

The regulator published an outline of its approach to the developing Internet of Things, largely based on responses to a call for input that it made in 2014. It noted that “stakeholders” had identified data privacy and consumer literacy as their primary areas of concern. Respondents had said that existing UK data protection legislation would be appropriate for regulating the Internet of Things, though not necessarily a cure-all. They also favored industry-led approaches to keeping consumers in control. However, Ofcom wrote, "We consider that these approaches should ideally be agreed internationally where possible, so as not to inhibit sale and use of IoT devices and services across international boundaries…Data captured in one country may be processed or stored in another and different countries may have different data privacy regimes. Addressing such differences will be particularly important if manufacturers market their IoT devices in multiple countries."

Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger is no longer viewed as inevitable

Comcast's bold move to buy rival Time Warner Cable in a $45-billion deal once seemed inevitable. Now, it is unclear whether the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission will give Comcast their blessing.

"They've had a lot of trouble, more than they thought they would -- and rightly so," said Gene Kimmelman, a former top lawyer in the Justice Department's antitrust division who now leads advocacy group Public Knowledge, which opposes the Comcast-TWC merger. Comcast's acquisition was originally viewed as a combination of huge cable TV providers. But opponents have painted Comcast as a potential gatekeeper of the Internet, raising the stakes as regulators wrestle over how best to regulate the Internet.

Comcast pays back overdue franchise fees to get city’s merger approval

Comcast has been going across the country seeking city-by-city support of its Time Warner Cable acquisition, giving local governments a chance to ask for favors in exchange for approving a franchise transfer. In Minneapolis (MN) the process turned up an unpaid bill of $40,000, so Comcast will have to pay the city money it already owed in order to get the franchise transfer.

Comcast will also throw in $50,000 worth of free service and equipment. Thirty Minneapolis city buildings will get free basic cable for the next seven years as part of a package of concessions the city wrung out of Comcast in exchange for blessing its proposed merger with fellow cable giant Time Warner. Comcast has also agreed to pay Minneapolis $40,000 in overdue franchise fees after an audit found it underpaid the city for its use of the public right of way over the last three years.

Lawmakers see momentum for legislation on data breaches

House lawmakers in both parties voiced optimism that Congress could pass legislation requiring companies to notify customers about breaches of consumer data.

Efforts to pass such a bill have repeatedly stumbled, but Democrats and Republicans alike said the tide may be turning with voters increasingly focused on cybersecurity. “I do sincerely believe that is an achievable goal,” said House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX). “It’s clear most of us agree on preemption,” he added. House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) said lawmakers must "get it right" on a data breach bill "before we try to tackle some of the other concerns."

Benton

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