Overview
Title
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; Notice of President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee Meeting
Agencies
ELI5 AI
CISA is telling people they can join an important phone meeting on February 10, 2021, to talk about ways to keep phones and the internet safe during emergencies. People need to sign up by February 3 if they want to listen or share their thoughts.
Summary AI
CISA is announcing a public meeting of the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) on February 10, 2021. The meeting will happen via conference call and will include updates on communications resiliency and discussions on national security and emergency preparedness priorities. Members of the public can register to attend or comment by February 3, 2021. The NSTAC advises the President on telecommunications and cybersecurity related to national security.
Abstract
CISA is publishing this notice to announce the following President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) meeting. This meeting is open to the public.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
CISA, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has announced an upcoming public meeting of the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) scheduled for February 10, 2021. This announcement invites public participation through a conference call. Open to all, the meeting aims to provide updates and discussions on communications resiliency and national security telecommunications priorities.
General Summary
The notice primarily serves to inform the public about the NSTAC meeting, scheduled for February 10, 2021. It invites public engagement in advising the President on key telecommunications and cybersecurity issues related to national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP). The public is encouraged to register for both attendance and public comment opportunities by February 3, 2021. Detailed instructions are provided for submitting comments and obtaining conference call access.
Significant Issues and Concerns
A notable issue is the lack of detailed information on specific topics that will be covered during the meeting. The agenda mentions updates from the NSTAC Communications Resiliency Subcommittee and deliberations on a letter to the President but falls short of elaborating on the content of these discussions. For those not versed in the nuances of telecommunications and cybersecurity, this omission may create barriers to meaningful participation and understanding.
A further concern is the use of acronyms and technical terminology, such as NSTAC, NS/EP, and FACA, without explanation. This could alienate members of the public who are unfamiliar with these terms, despite the meeting being public. Additionally, the process for registration and comment submission is time-bound to February 3, 2021, potentially making it difficult for some individuals to respond effectively within this short window, especially those unfamiliar with federal bureaucratic processes.
Moreover, while contact information is provided for registration and comment submissions, the reliance on email could disadvantage those without easy access to digital communication tools. There's no mention of alternate methods for engaging with the process.
Impact on the Public
The broad public may see little direct impact from this meeting, although those interested in national security, telecommunications, and cybersecurity policies might find the outcomes and discussed topics to be of significant interest. Public engagement in such advisory meetings can serve to democratize the process of policy formulation, ensuring a wider range of perspectives inform consequential policy decisions.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For stakeholders within the telecommunications and cybersecurity sectors, the themes addressed in the NSTAC meeting, such as communications resiliency, are likely to hold substantial significance. These discussions can ultimately shape industry standards and practices that stakeholders may need to implement or adhere to in their operations. Positive outcomes from the meeting could offer clearer guidance and priorities for these stakeholders, whereas negative impacts might arise from decisions or recommendations that may not align with industry capabilities or expectations.
In summary, while the public meeting represents an opportunity for inclusive discussion on vital telecommunications policies, the document's lack of detail and reliance on technical jargon may pose participation challenges for the lay public. Nonetheless, it remains an important forum for influencing national security policies directly affecting cybersecurity and telecommunications landscapes.
Issues
• The meeting notice does not provide specific information on what topics will be covered during the agenda items, such as the details of the 'NSTAC Communications Resiliency Subcommittee' update or the 'NSTAC Letter to the President on NS/EP Communications Priorities'.
• There is potential complexity and difficulty in understanding the technical aspects of the meeting for those not familiar with telecommunications and cybersecurity, which could limit public participation.
• The document uses acronyms and technical terms (e.g., NSTAC, NS/EP, FACA) without explaining them, which may not be immediately clear to all members of the public.
• The registration and comment submission process could be perceived as burdensome due to the relatively short time frames and the need to understand various bureaucratic procedures.
• The document provides an email address for registration and comment submission, but does not specify any further instructions or guidance for individuals who may not have access to email.