Title: Communications
Course: 2016FA-MCO-115-401 > Section: Module 5: Communications

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Communications

According to Bing Dictionary, communications is the exchange of information [1]. Communications can be achieved through the use of a number of different technologies.

Critical Infrastructure Sector

The United States Department of Homeland Security has declared the Communications Sector as one of the 16 sectors of critical infrastructure. The Sector Specific Agency for the Communications Sector is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS states that this sector, “is an integral component of the U.S. economy, underlying the operations of all businesses, public safety organizations, and government” [2]. There are five types of communications that are specified in Department of Homeland Security documentation as being a concentration, these types are:

- Wireline Infrastructure (also known as Landline)
- Wireless Infrastructure
- Satellite Infrastructure
- Cable Infrastructure
- Broadcasting Infrastructure

[3]

Why are Communications Critical Infrastructure?

Over the years communications have evolved dramatically from its beginnings as mostly voice transmission communications. As it became more advanced we became increasingly dependent on this sector of critical infrastructure. “Presidential Policy Directive 21 identifies the communications sector as critical because it provides an “enabling function” across all critical infrastructure sectors” [2].

The communications sector is involved with other critical infrastructure sectors like, energy, information technology, financial services, and emergency services. The energy sector supplies the cell towers, landline equipment, and other infrastructure components. The information technology sector depends on the communications infrastructures listed above as passageways for the transmission of data. Our financial services infrastructure depends on many of the five sectors listed above and would not be able to function in a way we have become accustomed to without communications sectors enabling the transfers of funds and data. Perhaps the most important thing about communications are the basic capabilities that are provided to our emergency services. The 911 call centers, fire departments, police departments, hospitals, emergency responders and the public need to be able to communicate in order to save lives.

Regulation

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the regulating body over radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable [4]. Other governing bodies may also play a governing role in these sectors, for example the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is involved with maintaining and measuring the safety of wireless communications.

The Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C) is responsible for, “… assuring the security, resiliency, and reliability of the nation’s cyber and communications infrastructure” [5].

Threats

Threats to our nation’s communication infrastructure could include interference with radio frequency (RF) communications, the type of communications often used by law enforcement and emergency services. Common threats to the Internet include Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks or Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. These could target any Internet based resource and work by tying up the resource’s server with a flood of requests that keep it from being accessed by those who truly need to use it. As Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) becomes increasingly popular and more methods of communications rely on digital technologies, we leave the nation’s telecom infrastructure open to the same threats that the Internet has become targeted by, like the Denial-of-Service attacks described above [6].

Encryption, monitoring, and cyber security best practices can help to mitigate threats to communications.