TIA Activities

TIA Trade Association Activities Involving Emergency Communications, Communications Network Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection and Assurance

Compendium of Emergency Communications and Communications Network Security-related Work Activities within TIA. This document identifies standards, or other technical documents and ongoing emergency/public safety communications and communications network security-related work activities within TIA and its engineering committees. This "living document" is presented for information, coordination and reference.

TIA HS/CIP Overview Document (38 Kb )
TIA and its members have been engaged actively with communications network security/critical infrastructure and asset protection (CIP) issues for several decades. As of March 2003, the newly authorized U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been designated the lead agency for physical and cyber protection of the nation's telecommunications sector and is now the central federal entity for critical infrastructure and assurance issues. Previously the Department of Commerce was the lead agency for the information and communications (I&C) sector with the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as the Sector Liaison Official (SLO). TIA was designated in 1999 to be a Sector Coordinator for the I&C sector.

CIP responsibilities for the I&C Sector included raising I&C sector awareness of vulnerabilities and risks; assisting the sector to eliminate/mitigate its vulnerabilities; facilitating establishment and operation of I&C sector information sharing and analysis centers (ISACs); developing cooperative efforts with other countries and international organizations to achieve compatible security policies and strategies; and providing industry with information on results from complementary U.S. government research and development on critical infrastructure and assets protection.

TIA activities have included:

Under PDD-63, the Department of Commerce chose TIA as one of the Sector Coordinators for the I&C sector. With Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7) TIA continues in this role as Telecommunications Sector Coordinator (with CTIA and USTA). The previous I&C sector is now composed of the telecom sector and the information technology (IT) sector under HSPD-7.

TIA is a non-resident member of the 24x7 National Coordinating Center Telecommunications Information Sharing and Analysis Center (NCC Telecom ISAC). Activities include weekly NCC Telecom ISAC staff update meetings, cross-ISAC activities, coordination/outreach to non-ISAC industry members, and other activities, as requested by ISAC members. Includes national emergency alerting and member availability to assist NCC T-ISAC efforts as requested.

TIA is part of the Emergency Notification System (ENS) of DHS Information Assurance Infrastructure Protection Directorate (DHS IAIP).

TIA is a member of the U.S. Communications Sector Coordinating Committee and its Steering Committee.

As a Sector Coordinator, TIA also holds a board seat (since March 2001) on the Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Security (PCIS), a recently re-chartered collaborative effort among participating "critical infrastructure" Sector Coordinators established to support cross-sector and interdependency issues among the sectors identified in PDD-63 and HSPD-7. The PCIS supports the information security, protection and assurance interests of the identified national critical infrastructures and key assets defined in PDD-63 and recently expanded with recent Executive Orders, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and the President's national strategies for homeland security and cybersecurity. Such critical sectors include, among others, telecommunications, information technology, banking and finance, transportation, continuous energy supply, chemical, water and food supply. The mission of PCIS is to "coordinate cross-sector initiatives and complement government and industry efforts to promote the assurance of reliable provision of critical infrastructure services in the face of emerging risks to economic and national security." In carrying out its mission, the PCIS provides a forum to promote dialog between industry and government and among the sector coordinators and ISACs on reducing vulnerabilities, mitigating risks, identifying strategic objectives and sharing sound information security practices. TIA continues to participate and support this cross-sector collaborative effort. PCIS meets bi-monthly with the DHS and other sector specific agencies (SSAs) and the ISAC Council at GMU-hosted meetings, and separately the other month. In May 2002, the I&C Sector Coordinators submitted extensive sector CIP input to the federal government's "National Strategy to Secure Cyber Space." For more information click here.

The board of directors of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved ANSI to set up a Homeland Security Standards Panel (HSSP), to be a focal point for coordination between the public and private sectors on standards and conformity assessment needed for homeland security. Specifically, the HSSP, as another cross-sector activity, will be a coordinating body for the development and enhancement of homeland security and emergency preparedness standards and conformity assessment, as developed by ANSI members and non-ANSI members.

TIA has been active in the planning activities to set up the HSSP which is open to both ANSI members and non-ANSI members. In March 2003, Dan Bart, senior vice president, standards and special projects for TIA, was named as private sector Co-chair of the new Homeland Security Standards Panel (HSSP), with NIST as public sector Co-chair. He also Co-chairs its steering committee (SC). The ANSI HSSP SC also functions as a U.S. Technical Advisory Group for the U.S. Expert to the ISO Advisory Group on Security (AGS).

TIA was appointed to the advisory committee of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC).

TIA was appointed to the advisory committee for DHS SAFECOM.

TIA and TIA member companies have been involved for over 20 years in the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC), a high-level (Chief Executive) management group of suppliers and operators (e.g., major communications and network providers, IT, finance and aerospace sectors) who counsel the president on relevant national security and emergency preparedness issues. TIA attends business meetings of the NSTAC and participates at the subgroup/task force level. For more NSTAC information and reports, visit: http://www.ncs.gov/nstac/nstac.htm.

Several years ago NSTAC had proposed the creation of an Information Security Standards Board (ISSB) to determine standards needs for computer systems and manage a conformity assessment program on products and systems to see if they met those standards. An Information Security Exploratory Committee (ISEC) was formed to evaluate the ISSB proposal. TIA participated on the ISEC and its steering committee. The ISEC strongly recommended increased industry education about potential threats and vulnerabilities, current security products and systems, and groups involved in security. Also advised there was not a case for ISSB initiatives at that time due to other industry efforts.

TIA has been involved, as an industry observer, with the Wireless Task Force (WTF); created under the NSTAC Industry Executive Subcommittee (IES) to address national telecommunications policy issues directly related to wireless services (PCS, cellular, LMR, satellite, unlicensed, WLAN, microwave Line of Sight (LOS), etc.) and their national impact on effectiveness and security. The NSTAC WTF researched wireless security issues for NS/EP users, gaining a better understanding of unique NS/EP security requirements and determining where wireless vulnerabilities exist (e.g., customer devices, network interfaces, facilities). The task force provided policy recommendations to ensure standards bodies and individual companies consider NS/EP requirements when developing wireless connectivity solutions. The task force also provided policy recommendations to the president, via the NSTAC, addressing how U.S. government agencies could assess their vulnerabilities, based on wireless technologies being deployed and specific agency requirements. Two issues that have been considered include:

The most recent NSTAC IES Task Force is focusing on Next Generation Networks (NGN) National Security/Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) needs. TIA is actively participating in working groups of the task force, including:

TIA and TIA members have been involved in the activities of President George W. Bush's National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC). Recent activity includes Prioritization of Cyber Vulnerabilities Working Group.

As a Sector Coordinator and neutral industry forum, TIA provided input to draft U.S. National Response Plan, Private Sector Support Annex (2003/2004) via NCC T-ISAC and DHS Private Sector Office.

Since the formation of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCCIP) in 1996, PCCIP work has been closely monitored by TIA. The final report of the PCCIP emphasized the importance of threat mitigation to U.S. infrastructures and called for timely action. A PCCIP commissioner gave presentations at SUPERCOMM® '97 and other TIA-hosted events.

When President Clinton issued Presidential Decision Direction 63 (PDD 63), TIA staff met with the heads of the U.S. Department of Commerce Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO) and the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) to see how TIA could cooperate in these efforts. The NIPC was an FBI and DoJ initiative, to deter, detect and respond to unlawful acts involving computer intrusions and other cyber and physical threats that could adversely impact the critical infrastructures and assets of the U.S. TIA has had representatives of the FBI and NIPC brief TIA members, and TIA was an active participant in the December 1999 partnership kickoff event and in the FBI's Key Asset training program.

TIA and its members have and continue to participate on the FCC's Network Reliability Council (NRC) and Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC) and its subgroups. The purpose is to assist with analysis of issues that can affect reliability, security and other FCC-specified analysis areas and to determine best practices to recover from natural or man-made outages, including those that might be caused by a computer hacker or terrorist, and create Best Practices.

Relevant NRIC VI focus groups involve homeland security (prevention, restoration and public safety), network reliability, network interoperability and broadband deployment.

NRIC VI Charter: http://www.nric.org/charter_vi/index.html.

NRIC VI Deliverables are available at: http://www.nric.org/pubs/nric6/index.html.

Relevant NRIC VII (first meeting 3/2004) Focus Groups involve Enhanced 9-1-1, homeland security (physical and cyber), network best practices (wireless and public data) and broadband.

NRIC VII Charter: http://www.nric.org/charter_vii/NRICVII%20Charter%20-%20FINAL_Amended_2004_3_12_04.doc.

NRIC VII FG information available at: http://www.nric.org/fg/index.html.

March NRIC VII meeting information: http://www.nric.org/meetings/meeting20040330.html.

TIA participates in DoC NTIA's Economic Security Working Group (EconSec WG) meetings and participates in its subgroups. TIA has and continues to represent industry, monitor and participate in government CIP activities through the EconSec WG, previously called the Critical Infrastructure Protection Communications & Information Sector Working Group (CISWG), and its subcommittees involving such topics as international outreach, research and development and support for bi/multi-lateral meetings. For example, bi-lateral meetings and multi-lateral meetings on CIP; including government/industry delegations involve nations such as Italy, Canada, Australia, India and Japan; including private meetings with other SDOs or multi-national companies. For more information see: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/cip/ciswg.htm.

In 2004, TIA accepted an offer to serve on the National Cyber Security Partnership (NCSP) Steering Committee. This private/public partnership effort supports DHS and other government initiatives.

Other activities TIA has been recently involved with addressing needs of first responders and law enforcement, include:

TIA is the lead SDO on Lawfully Authorized Electronic Surveillance (LAES) standardization for CALEA.

The Internet Security Alliance (ISA) is a member of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) along with TIA, and the ISA Executive Director is a Special Advisor to ANSI HSSP.

TIA was part of ANSI/ESO (European Standards Organizations - CEN/CENELEC/ETSI) meetings in France 2004 and security standards were a topic on that agenda and were discussed again at the January 2004 ANSI/ESO meeting in Washington, D.C.

Security and privacy of communications and location information is an emerging topic for ISO TC 204 WG 16 Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and TIA is a voting member of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to Technical Committee (TC) 204 and Wokring Advisory Group (WAG) Admin for WG-16.

3GPP2 develops specifications that ensure security within cdma2000® systems.

TIA shares information with other SDOs and international groups like the ITU and GSC involving this compendium's subject matter.