Telecom, Cyber, and Public Safety

As a safety-focused telecom policy strategist, I’ve been paying attention to how recent developments – like the exposure of Salt Typhoon – are reshaping conversations around cybersecurity and critical infrastructure risk.

Since Salt Typhoon became more widely known last fall, there’s been a noticeable uptick in scrutiny of telecom networks as potential targets in an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape. And reasonably so – Salt Typhoon raised serious concerns among cybersecurity and infrastructure experts, and its potential long-term impacts are still being assessed.

I tend to view these issues through the lens of public safety. Telecom networks play a foundational role in emergency response: originating and transporting 911 calls, supporting public alert systems, and enabling secure voice, data, and broadband communications for federal, state, and local public safety agencies.

Several Congressional members and committees have taken note. Most recently, the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee held a timely hearing yesterday (on April 30th) titled “Global Networks at Risk: Securing the Future of Telecommunications Infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, telecom infrastructure continues to evolve – with increased automation, virtualization, and AI use (in both defense and cyber attacks), plus growing attention to post-quantum cryptography.

I’ll be following this space closely – not only because of the national security and public safety implications, but also because it underscores the need for forward-thinking, safety-conscious telecom policy.

This is a key area of focus for my new firm, MountainPeak Strategies (www.mpstrat.com), where I help technology innovators and public safety leaders navigate the intersection of telecom, policy, and security.

I’d welcome your perspectives: What do you see as the most urgent risks – or the most promising approaches – when it comes to securing our networks? Feel free to share here or reach me at Jeff@mpstrat.com.