Feds Focus on Supply Chain Threats

Supply chain threats have been a concern for the federal government for years, but the Trump administration has increased the focus on them. Homeland Security last year banned government agencies from using products made by the Russian cyber firm Kaspersky Lab, citing the risk that Moscow could secretly access the company’s data or reach into its customers’ computers. Congress codified a similar ban later that year. DHS is also seeking industry feedback on a broader supply chain risk management initiative . And on Thursday, the telecom agency NTIA launched a project to encourage more transparency around the building blocks of software, with the goal of reducing hidden risks that can threaten the U.S. supply chain.

Congress is also focused on supply chain threats. Some lawmakers are trying to impose Kaspersky-like restrictions on the Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE. Others have introduced bipartisan legislation to tackle supply chain risk management more holistically, and the White House has circulated a draft proposal that closely mirrors that bill. Meanwhile, the commerce committees have encouraged the FCC and the Agriculture Department to prevent telecom companies that receive federal subsidies from buying Huawei or ZTE products. At a recent federal advisory board meeting, a House Energy and Commerce Committee staffer noted that rural telecom operators in particular were liable to buy from these Chinese firms because they often offered better prices than American competitors.

[via POLITICO]