Ofcom has partnered with other telecoms providers from the Five Eyes – the intelligence alliance of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – to collaborate more closely to strengthen the security and resilience of telecoms networks and tackle consumer-facing risks from scams and fraud.
A joint statement agreed at a meeting of international partners hosted by Ofcom in London on 4-6 November, reflects the fact that telecoms security threats are global and markets are increasingly interconnected.
It commits the authorities – which include telecoms regulators from the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – to strengthen cooperation to address challenges in the telecoms sector, to help deter malicious actors and safeguard the integrity of communications infrastructure.
The Five Eyes have committed to enhance cooperation on network reliability, integrity, and security. This will include efforts to prevent the misuse of telecoms, such as Global Titles, while recognising different international contexts.
Information sharing on emerging threats and fraud techniques is also a key priority in the agreement, which will focus on threats like SMS blasters, an the risks and opportunities arising from the growing use of AI in telecoms.
The agreement will also see members focusing on promoting best practices in network defence. This can be through cooperation and signposting to international standards, such as those related to Privileged Access Workstations (PAWs), which are dedicated computing arrangements set up for work that requires high levels of security, where appropriate.
It will also include more collaboration on supply chain security, including subsea cable infrastructure and radio frequency devices where appropriate.
The involved organisations, which include Ofcom (UK); the Federal Communications Commission (US); Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (Canada); the Department of Home Affairs (Australia); and the National Cyber Security Centre (New Zealand), will begin to work on these commitments immediately, and have also committed to convene annually to continue their focus on telecoms security.
Source: https://www.digit.fyi/ofcom-enters-international-agreement-for-telecoms-security/
