Rosenworcel Circulates Cybersecurity NOI on Border Gateway Protocol

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a notice of inquiry seeking comment on the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of the internet’s global routing system, said an FCC release Friday. “Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security warned U.S. organizations at all levels that they could face cyber threats stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” the release said. The draft NOI concerns “the security and integrity of the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP),” which is “the routing protocol used to exchange reachability information among independently managed networks on the Internet.” Due to vulnerabilities in BGP, it's possible to deliberately falsify “BGP reachability information” to redirect internet traffic, the release said. “Russian network operators have been suspected of exploiting BGP’s vulnerability to hijacking in the past,” the release said. That can lead to exposure of personal information, theft, extortion, “and state-level espionage,” the release said. The draft NOI also focuses on vulnerabilities in “the transmission of data through email, e-commerce, bank transactions, interconnected Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and 911 calls,” the release said.