[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65413-65414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26097]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. DHS-2014-0048]


President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory 
Committee

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS.

ACTION: Committee Management; Notice of Partially Closed Federal 
Advisory Committee Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory 
Committee (NSTAC) will meet on Wednesday, November 19, 2014, in 
Washington DC The meeting will be partially closed to the public.

DATES: The NSTAC will meet in a closed session on Wednesday, November 
19, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and in an open session on 
Wednesday, November 19, 2014, from 10:40 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The open, public session will be held at the Department of 
Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, 500 
12th Street SW., Washington DC, and will begin at 10:40 a.m. For 
information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities, to request special assistance at the meeting, or to 
attend in person contact [email protected] as soon as possible.
    We are inviting public comment on the issues the NSTAC will 
consider, as listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. 
Associated briefing materials that will be discussed at the meeting 
will be available at www.dhs.gov/nstac for review as of November 5, 
2014. Comments must be identified by docket number DHS-2014-0048 and 
may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include the docket number in the 
subject line of the message.
     Fax: 703-235-5962, Attn: Sandy Benevides.
     Mail: Designated Federal Officer, National Security 
Telecommunications Advisory Committee, National Protection and Programs 
Directorate, Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Lane, Mail 
Stop 0615, Arlington VA 20598-0615.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket number for this 
action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received by the NSTAC, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
referencing docket number DHS-2014-0048.
    A public comment period will be held during the open portion of the 
meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2014, from 1:35 p.m. to 2:05 p.m., 
and speakers are requested to limit their comments to three minutes. 
Please note that the public comment period may end before the time 
indicated, following the last call for comments. Contact Sandy 
Benevides at 703-235-5408 or [email protected] to register as a 
speaker by close of business on November 17, 2014. Speakers will be 
accommodated in order of registration within the constraints of the 
time allotted to public comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen Jackson, NSTAC Designated 
Federal Officer, Department of Homeland Security, telephone (703) 235-
5321 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of this meeting is given under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix. The NSTAC advises 
the President on matters related to national security and emergency 
preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications policy.
    Agenda: The committee will meet in the open session to engage in an 
update of the Federal Communications Commission's current priorities; a 
discussion of the Department of Justice's Anti-Trust Guidelines; the 
current priorities and accomplishments of the First Responder Network 
Authority; a panel discussion of the interdependencies between the 
Communications and Electric Power Sector. The NSTAC members will 
deliberate and vote on the NSTAC Report to the President on the 
Cybersecurity Implications of the Internet of Things and the NSTAC 
Report to the President on Information and Communications Technology 
Mobilization. Both reports will be available at www.dhs.gov/nstac as of 
November 5, 2014.
    The NSTAC will meet in a closed session to hear a classified 
briefing regarding emerging threats to the communications 
infrastructure and to discuss the potential future NSTAC study topics.
    Basis for Closure: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. Sec.  552b(c), The 
Government in the Sunshine Act, it has been determined that two agenda 
items require closure as the disclosure of the information would not be 
in the public interest.
    The first of these agenda items, the classified briefing, will 
provide members with information on nation-state capabilities and 
strategic threats. Such threats target national communications 
infrastructure and impact industry's long-term competitiveness and 
growth, as well as the Government's ability to mitigate threats. 
Malicious actors continue to advance their techniques to exploit 
critical infrastructure networks and poses serious challenges for the 
communications sector. Disclosure of these threats would provide 
criminals who wish to intrude into commercial and Government networks 
with information on potential vulnerabilities and mitigation 
techniques, also weakening existing cybersecurity defense tactics. This 
briefing will be classified at the top secret level, thereby exempting 
disclosure of the content by statute. Therefore, this portion of the 
meeting is required to be closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Sec.  
552b(c)(1)(A).
    The second agenda item, the discussion of potential NSTAC study 
topics, will address areas of critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities 
and priorities for Government. Government officials will share data 
with NSTAC members on initiatives, assessments, and future security 
requirements across public and private networks. The data to be shared 
includes specific vulnerabilities within cyberspace that affect the 
Nation's communications and information technology infrastructures and 
proposed mitigation strategies. Disclosure of this information to the 
public would provide criminals with an incentive to focus on these 
vulnerabilities to increase attacks on our cyber and communications 
networks. Therefore, this portion of the meeting is likely to 
significantly frustrate implementation of proposed DHS actions and is 
required to be closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(B).


[[Page 65414]]


    Dated: October 28, 2014.
Helen Jackson,
Designated Federal Officer for the NSTAC.
[FR Doc. 2014-26097 Filed 11-3-14; 8:45 am]
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