Network Reliability Resources

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau’s (PSHSB’s) Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division (CCR) works with communications service providers, public safety entities, and other stakeholders to ensure continued access to communications services for all Americans. PSHSB routinely encourages communications service providers to follow certain best practices to promote network reliability.

The list of network reliability resources and best practices below features recent FCC releases, and resources for communications service providers and the general public related to disaster and emergency response, emergency alerting, and cybersecurity.

Recent Releases

• Incident Management and Investigations >> 

General Resources

• Network Reliability Best Practices for Small and Rural Providers:  A list of 23 of the most recurring best practices as reported by small and rural carriers in NORS outage reports filed during the last five years.
• Public Safety Support Center:  Enables Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) to report outages and other network reliability problems directly to the Commission.
• PSAP Registry:  Allows PSAPs to register with the Commission, which aids the Commission in evaluating the state of PSAP readiness and E911 deployment.
• Task Force on Optimal Public Safety Answering Point Architecture (TFOPA) developed for PSAPs:  A list of PSAP best practices regarding system redundancy and resiliency.
• 911 and E911 Services:  Overview of the Nation’s 911 system.
• Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO):  OCBO provides resources for small, women-owned, and minority-owned communications businesses.
• PSHSB Encourages Implementation of Network Reliability Best Practices, Public Notice (October 15, 2019)
• Webinar on Network Resiliency for Small and Rural Communications Providers:  Discusses Available Resources and Best Practices for Small and Rural Communications Providers Regarding Network Reliability and Security, Webinar (June 17, 2019)
• PSHSB Encourages Industry to Follow Network Reliability Best Practices, Public Notice (April 16, 2018)
• FCC's PSHSB Encourages Implementation of CSRIC Signaling System 7 Security Best Practices, Public Notice (August 24, 2017)
• PSHSB Reminds Industry of Network Reliability Best Practices, Public Notice (July 12, 2017)

Disaster and Emergency Response

• Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative: Rules requiring improved disaster response and preparedness by certain wireless providers including mandatory roaming and mutual aid.  
• DIRS Activations: Communications providers submit reports to the Disaster Information Reporting System during emergencies or disasters, and the Commission publishes reports aggregating the information.

Emergency Alerts

• Emergency Alert System (EAS):  Overview of and brief instructions on the federal Emergency Alert System.
• Emergency Alert System Security Best Practices: This 2014 CSRIC Report provides voluntary security best practices for EAS participants, alert originators, EAS device manufacturers, and government agencies.
• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA):  Overview of the Wireless Emergency Alert System and the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).
• How Public Safety Officials Can Issue Wireless Emergency Alerts:  Link to and guidance on FEMA’s IPAWS system.

Cybersecurity

• StopRansomware.gov:  Ransomware homepage for federal government agencies
• National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) part of National Institute of Standards and Technology  (NIST):  Data Integrity: Detecting and Responding to Ransomware and Other Destructive Events
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC):  Cybersecurity for Small Business - Topic: Ransomware
• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):  Ransomware Guidance and Resources
• Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council Recommended Best Practices:  Voluntary network reliability best practices database for broadcast, cable, satellite, wireless, and wireline networks adopted by CSRIC.
• FTC Cybersecurity Resources to Assist Small Businesses:  Press Release | Cybersecurity for Small Business Resources
• FCC Cybersecurity for Small Businesses:  Provides a number of resources and tools for small businesses including a Small Business Cyber Planner and tipsheet on how small businesses to protect themselves and their customers from cyber threats.
• NIST Interagency Report - Small Business Information Security:  Guidance on how small businesses can provide basic security for their information, systems and networks.
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0: Guidance to help organizations manage cybersecurity risks.
• CISA Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs): A common set of protections that all critical infrastructure entities - from large to small - should implement to meaningfully reduce the likelihood and impact of known risks and adversary techniques.
• CISA Cybersecurity Alerts & Advisories: Timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits.
• CISA Resources for Small-and Medium-Sized Business: Information and tools to help small businesses protect their people, customers, intellectual property, and other sensitive data from cyber and physical threats.
• CISA Cybersecurity Division: Discusses CISA's mission to defend and secure cyberspace and includes links to the different subdivisions of resources available.
• CISA Information and communications technology supply chain risk management: Information on how to ensure that supply chain risk management (SCRM) is an integrated component of security and resilience planning.
• CISA Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools: A curated database of free cybersecurity services and tools provided by the private and public sectors to help organizations further advance their security capabilities. Among the offerings, organizations may sign up for CISA’s Cyber Hygiene Services, which include vulnerability and web application scanning.
• Identifying and Mitigating Living Off the Land Techniques: Threat detection information and mitigations applicable to LOTL activity, regardless of threat actor.
• Advisory: “PRC State-Sponsored Actors Compromise and Maintain Persistent Access to U.S. Critical Infrastructure” – Actions to Take to Mitigate Volt Typhoon Activity
• NSA Enduring Security Framework (ESF): A public-private partnership that addresses risks to critical infrastructure and National Security Systems. ESF is a cross-sector working group that operates under the auspices of Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) to address threats and risks to the security and stability of U.S. National Security Systems and critical infrastructure. It is comprised of experts from the U.S. Government as well as representatives from the Information Technology, Communications, and the Defense Industrial Base sectors. ESF is charged with bringing together representatives from private and public sectors to work on intelligence-driven, shared cybersecurity challenges.
• NSA Cyber Collaboration Center: The Center works with industry (including the telecommunications industry), other federal agencies, and international partners to harden the U.S. Defense Industrial Base, operationalize NSA’s unique insights on nation-state cyber threats, jointly create mitigations guidance for emerging activity and chronic cybersecurity challenges, and secure emerging technologies.