Biden Tasks FCC With Overseeing Parts of Updated Security Directive

The FCC received assignments in a national security memorandum that President Joe Biden signed Tuesday. They were similar to those in a 2013 presidential directive. The memorandum says the U.S. “is in the midst of a generational investment in the Nation’s infrastructure” but faces “an era of strategic competition with nation-state actors who target American critical infrastructure and tolerate or enable malicious actions conducted by non-state actors.” Moreover, the memorandum directs the FCC to “identify and prioritize communications infrastructure by collecting information” on communications networks. It is tasked with assessing sector risks and “work[ing] to mitigate those risks by requiring, as appropriate, regulated entities to take specific actions to protect communications networks and infrastructure,” the directive says. It calls on the agency to collaborate with “communications sector industry members, foreign governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to identify best practices and impose corresponding regulations.” The FCC "is committed to doing its part, working with government and industry partners, to increase the security and resilience of our nation's communications infrastructure," an agency spokesperson emailed.