At a glance.
- Huawei and ZTE ask not to be excluded from US rural telecom markets.
- Huawei likes Britain's decision on its participation in 5G, but US House Republicans dissent.
- Philippines consider how to mitigate the risk of Chinese participation in the country's power grid.
- NIST Special Publications on ransomware are out for comment.
Huawei and ZTE ask that the US not designate them threats to national security.
One might think that horse had already left the barn, but the Chinese hardware manufacturers are referring, Reuters writes, are seeking to persuade the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau from making a final ruling that would prohibit US rural telecom carriers from using Federal funds to purchase Huawei or ZTE equipment.
Huawei is gratified by Britain's "evidence-based" decision on the risk the company says it doesn't present.
EABW quotes Huawei's Vice-President, Victor Zhang, as expressing gratitude for the recent decision by the British Government to allow it restricted access to the UK's 5G infrastructure. “This evidence-based decision will result in a more advanced, more secure and more cost-effective telecoms infrastructure that is fit for the future. It gives the UK access to world-leading technology and ensures a competitive market.”
That's how it looks from Shenzhen, but that's not necessarily view from the Washington, where House Republicans have introduced a resolution condemning that decision.
The Philippines' Senate opens an inquiry into the risks of Chinese participation in the national power grid.
Reuters reports that the Philippines' Administration is taking measures to ensure the grid's security. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said Monday that “Allegations that the National Grid can easily be controlled by foreign entities are being taken seriously by the government.” China’s State Grid Corporation owns a 40% share in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, a consortium which in 2008 won a franchise to operate the national grid for twenty-five years. Esperon didn't name any foreign country, but the statement's arrival as the Senate conducted its own investigation into the risk of Chinese involvement in the country's power distribution makes it clear that China is intended.
US states offer cybersecurity assistance to municipal governments.
Cooperative defense is appearing within some US states, which are increasingly offering assistance in defense, remediation, and recovery to local governments. Pew's Stateline writes. More states are implementing some of the cooperative programs outlined by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and the National Governors Association last month.
The successful programs, the Governors and CIOs say, can be organized under these headings:
- Authentication and Access Control
- Media Protection and Information Transfer
- System Security and Vulnerability Management
- Awareness and Training
They call upon all the states to cultivate closer working relationships with local authorities, to raise awareness of the security programs that are available, and to investigate ways of holding down the costs of security programs by pooling resources and including local governments in security contracts.
NIST's draft ransomware defense Special Publications are available for comment.
The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (the NCCOE) has released drafts of two NIST Special Publications dealing with defense against ransomware. Special Publication 1800-25, “Identifying and Protecting Assets Against Ransomware and Other Destructive Events,” and Special Publication 1800-26, “Detecting and Responding to Ransomware and Other Destructive Events,” are open for comment through February 26th.