The Department of Homeland Security will do a “thorough review” of its cybersecurity detection programs as a result of the Russia-linked SolarWinds attack, President-elect Joe Biden’s DHS secretary nominee, Alejandro Mayorkas, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee Tuesday. Mayorkas said the department will review its Einstein program and the continuing diagnostics and mitigation program to ensure they’re “appropriately designed and effectively executed.”
Russia export controls and sanctions
The use of export controls and sanctions on Russia has surged since the country's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and especially its invasion of Ukraine in in February 2022. Similar export controls and sanctions have been imposed by U.S. allies, including the EU, U.K. and Japan. The following is a listing of recent articles in Export Compliance Daily on export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo OK'd the Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies Bureau, to “reorganize” U.S. cyberspace and emerging technology security policy, the State Department said. CSET will address national security challenges from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and “other cyber and emerging technology competitors,” leading U.S. efforts “on a wide range of international cyberspace security and emerging technology policy issues,” the department said Thursday.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is open to a U.S.-EU technology council effort to address the Privacy Shield and other tech issues, he told us Wednesday: “I am open to suggestions to a very tough, tough problem that may defy a solution.”
The latest U.S. plus streaming video service is Discovery’s, slated for a Jan. 4 debut. Pricing for discovery+ is $6.99 for the ad-free version, $4.99 with ads. Discovery is partnering with Verizon, which will “accelerate adoption” by giving six or 12 months free on select broadband and wireless plans. Verizon was a partner when Disney+ launched last year. Content will include original series across Discovery brands, with shows from HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Discovery+ will be the streaming home of the Olympic Games in Europe, except in Russia, and Eurosport's premium sport offering.
Dish Network government affairs adds Jamellah Ellis, ex-Verizon, as senior regulatory counsel, and Lyndall Nipps, ex-tw telecom and Windstream, as senior regulatory specialist, both for state regulatory compliance; the MVPD also hires Tripp McKemey, ex-office of Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., who was recently elected governor, as senior government affairs analyst for federal lobbying team, focusing on House Republicans ... Jenner & Block hires Aaron Cooper, ex-Senate Intelligence Committee Russia investigation and former DOJ cybercrime prosecutor, as special counsel for Investigations, Compliance and Defense Practice; Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation Practice; and Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice.
Global smartphone shipments declined 1.3% in Q3 to 353.6 million handsets, reported IDC Thursday. Though shipments decreased, the results outdid IDC's forecast of a 9% year-over-year decline, it said. It attributed the improvement to the reopening of global economies as COVID-19 restrictions were gradually relaxed. Though “an element” of pent-up demand fueled market growth in emerging markets like Brazil, India, Indonesia and Russia, “it was mainly the array of heavy promotions and discounts that accelerated growth in these markets," said IDC. The more developed markets of the U.S., Western Europe and China experienced big Q3 declines, it said. Samsung retook global leadership from Huawei with 22.7% share after shipping 80.4 million smartphones in Q3, a 2.9% increase from the 2019 quarter. Huawei’s shipments plunged 22% to 51.9 million handsets, sinking the vendor into second place with 14.7% share, said IDC: “The company continues to face challenges due to the ever increasing impact of the U.S. sanctions.” Wednesday, Sony reported the mid-September termination of image sensor shipments to Huawei would cause operating profit in that sector of its business to plummet for the fiscal year ending March 31 (see 2010280028).
The Trump administration emphasized a “market-based approach” to ensure U.S. dominance in developing emerging technologies, in a national strategy released Thursday. The National Security Council identified 20 critical technologies, including telecom, semiconductors, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The market-based approach is preferable to “state-directed models” that “produce waste and disincentivize innovation,” the strategy said. It helps “protect ourselves from unfair competition,” including from China and Russia. Those countries and other “strategic competitors … have adopted deliberate whole-of-government” critical and emerging tech “efforts and are making large and strategic investments to take the lead,” the strategy said. “America’s lead in certain C&ET sectors is declining. The [U.S.] will take meaningful action to reverse this trend.” The strategy includes a focus on improving the U.S. workforce for some emerging tech and increasing the pool of investors to ensure improved R&D. It calls for preventing foreign adversaries like China from unfairly benefiting from U.S. innovation, including by beefing up international intellectual property theft norms and expanding restrictions on exports of some tech to those countries.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee’s Wednesday confirmation hearing for acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf featured almost no talk about cybersecurity, amid senators’ focus on allegations about his conduct as the department’s acting head, questions about the security of the upcoming elections and immigration. The closest Wolf got to cybersecurity talk were questions from Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and others about election security. DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is “focused on cyberthreats to elections systems” and infrastructure, Wolf said. “We have been working with all 50 secretaries of state” and others to make sure the Nov. 3 election “is going to be the securest election that we’ve had to date.” The U.S. intelligence community hasn’t “attributed any cyber campaign against any election infrastructure” by a foreign government-sponsored actor, “and I think that speaks to the work that we have done” over the course of President Donald Trump’s administration, he said: “At this time” during the 2016 presidential campaign, “there were indicators and warnings that they were targeting” U.S. elections infrastructure. China, Iran and Russia remain the biggest threat to that apparatus before the contest. Those countries also remain the largest threat for disseminating disinformation and propaganda online about the election, he said in response to a question from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. Homeland Security plans a markup session Wednesday. It’s unclear whether that will include a vote to advance Wolf’s confirmation to the floor. Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wanted to move the confirmation process forward “as expeditiously as possible.”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated an NPRM proposing to require disclosures at the time of broadcast when TV and radio stations are paid “directly or indirectly” to air content by a foreign entity, said a release Tuesday. Disclosure would also be required if programming were “provided to the station free of charge by such an entity as an inducement to broadcast the material,“ the release said. “With some station content coming from the likes of China and Russia, it is time to update our rules and shed more sunlight on these practices,” Pai said. Current rules don’t specify how foreign government sponsorship should be disclosed to the public, but the proposed rules would provide standardized language identifying the country involved, the release said. The text wasn’t released. House Democrats urge Pai to act against what they called Russian propaganda broadcast in the U.S. before the 2020 election (see 2002130060). “Americans are currently in the process of deciding who they will elect to lead our country, and it’s critical that they are not unknowingly influenced by foreign propaganda,” said a February letter to Pai from Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and others.
Comments are due Oct. 26 on a Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security advance NPRM to decide if there are “specific foundational technologies” that warrant “more restrictive” export controls, says Thursday's Federal Register. “Foundational technologies essential to the national security are those that may warrant stricter controls if a present or potential application or capability of that technology poses a national security threat,” it says. Foundational technologies “could include items that are currently subject to control for military end use,” it says. “Many of these items, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment and associated software tools, lasers, sensors, and underwater systems, can be tied to indigenous military innovation efforts in China, Russia or Venezuela. Accordingly, they may pose a national security threat.” The ANPRM is in docket BIS-2020-0029 at Regulations.gov.