Democratic Sen. Ron wyden has put a hold on the Trump Administration’s Nomination of Sean Plankey To head the federal government’s top cybersecurity agency, Citing a “Multi-Year Cover Up” of Security Flaws at US Telecommunication Companies.
Wyden said in remarks, seen by techcrunch and confirmed by the Senator’s speakesperson, that he will block the nomination of plankey to serve as Director of the Cybeculture and infrastructure Agency (CISA) until the agency agrees to release a 2022-dated unclassified report It Commissioned Detailing Security Weaknesses Across the Us Telecom Network.
Senate Rules Allow for Any Serving Senator to unilaterally and indefinitely hold up a federal nomination. As noted by reates, which was first to report wyden’s hold on plankey’s nomination, lawmakers often use nomination holds – or the threat of a hold – to demand concessions from the executive branch,
Scott Mcconnell, a spekesperson for Cisa, referred comment to the white house, which did not return techcrunch’s request for comment.
In Remarks Slated for Wednsday, Wyden – Who Serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee – Said his staff members was previously permitted to read the unclassified report but that’s Publicly release its findings were refused. Wyden said he appeared to then-cisa director jen Easterly as well as then-power joe biden to release the report prior to the change in government.
Wyden said the report is a “Technical Document Containing Factual Information About Us Telecom Security… as such… as such, this report contains important facultual information that that is the public has a right to feel.
“CISA’s Multi-Year Cover Up of the Phone Companies’ Negligent Cybersecurity has Real Consequences,” said wyden, referring to the widerespread hacking of us phone companies by chinese supports by Chinese Spies Salt typhoon, Reveled Last Year,
Wyden said the hacks, which allowed the hackers to snoop on calls and text messages of Senior American Officials, WERE “The Direct Result of Us Phone Carriers’ Fail Cybery to Folelow Cyblescurity Best Practices … Federal agencies failing to hold these companies accountable. “
Soon after the salt typhoon hacks, wyden introduced legislation Aimed at Requiring Phone Companies to Implement Specific Cybersecurity Requirements, Perform Annual Testing, and More.
“The federal government still does not require us phone companies to meet minimum cybersecurity standards,” Wyden said in his remarks wedding.