FCC’s claim that it was hit by DDoS should be investigated, lawmakers say

Sen Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Rep Frank Pallone (D-NJ) called for an independent investigation into the Federal Communications Commission's claim that it suffered DDoS attacks on May 8, when the net neutrality public comments system went offline. "While the FCC and the FBI have responded to Congressional inquiries into these DDoS attacks, they have not released any records or documentation that would allow for confirmation that an attack occurred, that it was effectively dealt with, and that the FCC has begun to institute measures to thwart future attacks and ensure the security of its systems," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the US Government Accountability Office. "As a result, questions remain about the attack itself and more generally about the state of cybersecurity at the FCC—questions that warrant an independent review."

Sen Schatz and Rep Pallone, the ranking members of the Senate and House Commerce Committees, also said the FCC has not acted to prevent or mitigate the problem of fake comments flooding the net neutrality docket. "[T]aken together, these situations raise serious questions about how the public makes its thoughts known to the FCC and how the FCC develops the record it uses to justify decisions reached by the agency," they wrote to the GAO.