The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced today the 50 members of the reestablished Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), which will be co-chaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
In April, the FCC announced it would reestablish the CSRIC, making this the FCC’s eighth charter of the council. The CSRIC serves as a Federal advisory committee that makes recommendations to the Commission “to improve the security, reliability, and interoperability of the nation’s communications systems,” according to the FCC.
“The FCC’s CSRIC is one of the nation’s most impactful cybersecurity partnerships,” said FCC Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “But in recent years this public-private collaboration has faced criticism that its membership gave private companies an outsized voice. Today, we take steps to right that ship.”
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“I am proud to announce that, for the first time, CSRIC VIII will be co-chaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA leads the coordinated national effort to enhance the security, resiliency, and reliability of our cybersecurity and communications infrastructure,” Rosenworcel added. “This collaboration with CISA, and with the additional government partners on the Council, will help advance a whole-of-government approach to security and ensure that the relevant federal expertise is informing policymaking at the FCC.”
Leading the effort are co-chairs Billy Bob Brown, Jr., executive assistant director for emergency communications at CISA, and Nasrin Rezai, senior vice president and chief information security officer at Verizon Communications.
A complete list of the 50 members is available in the FCC’s public notice, but the members’ interests include: “state, local, and Federal government; public safety entities; public interest entities; small and rural communications providers; nationwide telecommunications providers; and other interested parties.”
Rosenworcel noted that the membership of the council’s eighth charter “will reflect more participation from the public interest community than any other CSRIC to date. This means that the public and consumers also will have a voice on issues that ultimately affect their safety and security.”
The new CSRIC will focus on improving 5G network security and will hold its first public meeting on Sept. 22.
