Notice2022-02435
Potential Safeguards in Connection With NORS-DIRS Information Sharing Public Notice
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 7, 2022
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
In this document, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC or Commission) seeks comment on the cost, manner, and technical feasibility of technological safeguards to protect the integrity of NORS and DIRS information that will be shared with agencies granted access to the information pursuant to the Second Report and Order.\1\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 25 (Monday, February 7, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 25 (Monday, February 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6865-6866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02435]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[PS Docket Nos. 15-80; FR ID 69281]
Potential Safeguards in Connection With NORS-DIRS Information
Sharing Public Notice
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Public Safety and Homeland Security
Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC or
Commission) seeks comment on the cost, manner, and technical
feasibility of technological safeguards to protect the integrity of
NORS and DIRS information that will be shared with agencies granted
access to the information pursuant to the Second Report and Order.\1\
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\1\ See Amendments to Part 4 of the Commission's Rules
Concerning Disruptions to Communications, PS Docket No. 15-80,
Second Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd 6136 (2021) (Second Report and
Order).
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DATES: Submit comments on or before March 9, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by PS Docket Nos. 15-80,
by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal Communications Commission's website: <a href="http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/">http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/</a>. Follow the instructions for submitting
comments.
<bullet> Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by
first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. See the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for more instructions.
<bullet> People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3f797c7c0a0f0b7f595c5c11585049"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="490f0a0a7c797d092f2a2a672e263f">[email protected]</span></a> or phone: 202-418-
0530 or TTY: 202-418-0432. For detailed instructions for submitting
comments see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions, contact Scott
Cinnamon, Attorney Advisor, Cybersecurity and Communications
Reliability Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at
(202) 418-2319 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d1a2b2bea5a5ffb2b8bfbfb0bcbebf91b7b2b2ffb6bea7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5320303c27277d303a3d3d323e3c3d133530307d343c25">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Potential
Safeguards in Connection with NORS-DIRS Information Sharing Public
Notice, PS Docket Nos. 15-80; DA 21-62, released January 19, 2022.
The complete text of the Potential Safeguards in Connection with
NORS-DIRS Information Sharing Public Notice is also available
electronically at: <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/pshsb-seeks-comments-nors-dirs-information-sharing-safeguards">https://www.fcc.gov/document/pshsb-seeks-comments-nors-dirs-information-sharing-safeguards</a>.
I. Background
On March 17, 2021, the Commission adopted a framework to allow
sharing certain communications network outage information submitted to
the FCC's NORS and DIRS systems with state, federal, and Tribal nation
agencies to improve situational awareness, enhance their ability to
response more rapidly to outages, and to help save lives. Information
submitted in NORS and DIRS ``is sensitive for reasons concerning
national security and commercial competitiveness, and the Commission
this treats it as presumptively confidential.'' \2\
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\2\ Second Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 6137, para 2.
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To protect the confidentiality and integrity of this sensitive
information, the Second Report and Order adopted four specific
safeguards: ``(1) providing read-only access to the NORS and DIRS
filings; (2) limiting the number of users with access to NORS and DIRS
filings at participating agencies; (3) requiring special training for
participating agencies regarding their privileges and obligations under
the program; and (4) potentially terminating access to agencies that
misuse or improperly disclose NORS and DIRS data.'' \3\
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\3\ Second Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 6153, para. 58.
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II. Comment on the Cost, Utility and Feasibility of Specific Safeguards
and Suggestions for Additional Safeguards
Acknowledging the utility of proposals raised by commenters earlier
in this proceeding, the Commission directed the Bureau to ``to seek,
via Public Notice, further information on the cost, manner and
technical feasibility'' of including confidential notifications,
headers, or watermarks on the read-only outage reports.\4\ The Bureau
seeks specific comments on the usefulness and effectiveness of these
specific safeguards as well as information on costs and feasibility of
these proposals.
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\4\ Second Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 6154, para. 61.
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The Bureau was further directed to ``implement in NORS and DIRS any
measures and safeguards that it determines suitable and in the public
interest based on the record developed in response to the Public
Notice.'' \5\ Keeping in mind that proposed safeguards ``should not
impose new regulatory requirements on service providers or additional
conditions on agencies seeking access to outage data,'' the Bureau
invites comments proposing additional technical measures to preserve
the confidentiality and integrity of the newly shared NORS and DIRS
data.\6\
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\5\ Id.
\6\ Id.
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III. Implementation
Following the receipt of comments, the Bureau will release a Public
Notice specifying any technical safeguards implemented in response to
this Public Notice. To the extent necessary, these changes may be made
without prior notice-and-comment under the Administrative Procedure Act
as ``rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice,'' 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(A). The Bureau will then seek Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval of the modifications to the extent required under the
Paperwork Reduction Act. Upon receipt of OMB approval, and the Bureau's
completion of all necessary changes to the systems, the Bureau will
announce that the modifications are effective.
IV. Procedural Matters
Interested parties may file comments in response to this Public
Notice on or before the date indicated on the first page of this
document. See Electronic
[[Page 6866]]
Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).
Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing
System (ECFS).
[ssquf] Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically
using the internet by accessing the ECFS: <a href="http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/">http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/</a>.
[ssquf] Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file
an original and one copy of each filing.
[ssquf] Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by
first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be
addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary,
Federal Communications Commission.
[ssquf] Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive,
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express,
and Priority mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC
20554.
[ssquf] Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the
Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings.
This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety
of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. See FCC
Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window and Change in Hand-
Delivery Policy, Public Notice, DA 20-304 (March 19, 2020).
[ssquf] To request materials in accessible formats for people with
disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format),
send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c2a4a1a1f7f2f682a4a1a1eca5adb4">[email protected]</a> or call the Consumer & Governmental
Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).
This proceeding has been designated as a ``permit-but-disclose''
proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules. See 47
CFR 1.1200(a), 1.1206. Persons making ex parte presentations must file
a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral
presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a
different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons
making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda
summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or
otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte
presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and
arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted
in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already
reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda or other
filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such
data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other
filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where
such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the
memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex
parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must
be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by
rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of
electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda
summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto,
must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available
for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g.,
.doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding
should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
Federal Communications Commission.
David Furth,
Deputy Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2022-02435 Filed 2-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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