CSRIC Gets Updates; First Reports Due in March
A major focus of the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council will be the move to 5G, as evidenced by preliminary reports as CSRIC met at the FCC. Reports are due next year. Leaders of the six working groups noted their work so far only in broad terms. First documents are due at a March 17 meeting.
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Lee Thibadeau, Nsight co-chief technical officer, said the Managing Security Risk in the Transition to 5G WG is focused on how 5G can be built on top of 4G. “Many carriers want to be able to have a tight interoperability between 4G and 5G” and want to preserve investments already in 4G networks, he said. It’s critical “that we have a seamless transition [since] that investment in 4G has to last us a long time,” he said.
The Managing Security Risk in Emerging 5G group is to give the FCC an update on “potential risks introduced by the 5G core network elements and weaknesses” by 3rd Generation Partnership Project releases 15 and 16, said Brian Daly, AT&T assistant vice president-standards and industry alliances. Release 16 is being developed, with completion expected in March, Daly noted. The WG will “look at potential risks introduced by the 5G core network elements and weaknesses in the relevant 3GPP standards to understand those and determine what appropriate mitigations can be undertaken,” he said. The focus will be identifying gaps, he said. The group’s main focus is standalone fifth-gen, he said.
The Improving Broadcast Resiliency WG broadened its focus, said Pat Roberts, president of the Florida Association of Broadcasters. “When storms hit, whether it is the generator or at the studio or at the tower, we have to make sure we stay on the air,” he said: “We’re looking at not only the transmission site, but also the studio site.” Some stations have formed partnerships, he said.
Another focus is social media, Roberts said: “The last few storms, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter played a major role of broadcasters reaching residents in the market they live in as well as people who have left the market.”
The 911 Security Vulnerabilities during the IP Transition WG was tasked by the FCC with getting a better handle on risks, said Mary Boyd, West Safety Services vice president-government and regulatory affairs. “The commission has asked us to look at the vulnerabilities, put them on a scale in terms of importance and risk and then look at the remediation expense behind mitigating those risks.” The group is surveying interoperability in 911 systems, she said.