FCC AWOL On Cybersecurity, Says Former Chairman

Tom Wheeler, who served as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 2013-2017, says the Trump FCC has taken a laissez-faire approach to its cyber responsibility. Wheeler notes that the Communications Act that gives the FCC its authority instructs the Commission to act in furtherance of “national defense, [and] for the purpose of promoting safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio communications.” That surely encompasses the current cyber threats to national and individual security, he argues, but current FCC Chair Ajit Pai calls the FCC’s cyber role “relatively circumscribed” and has spoken in opposition to “uniform rules that would apply to an entire industry.” According to Wheeler, a whole-of-government response is required. He believes that in this time of national cyber threats, everything the FCC does should be viewed through the lens of cybersecurity. The regulator responsible for commercial communications should include risk-informed cybersecurity deliberation throughout the discharge of its duties.