[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 204 (Monday, October 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 53233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22872]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Multistakeholder Process on Promoting Software Component 
Transparency

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) will convene a meeting of a multistakeholder process on 
promoting software component transparency on November 6, 2018.

DATES: The meeting will be held on November 6, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 4 
p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the American Institute of 
Architects, 1735 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allan Friedman, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4725, Washington, DC 20230; 
telephone: (202) 482-4281; email: [email protected]. Please direct 
media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs: (202) 482-7002; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    This National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
cybersecurity multistakeholder process focuses on promoting software 
component transparency. Most modern software is not written completely 
from scratch, but includes existing components, modules, and libraries 
from the open source and commercial software world. Modern development 
practices, such as code reuse, and a dynamic IT marketplace with 
acquisitions and mergers, make it challenging to track the use of 
software components. The Internet of Things compounds this phenomenon, 
as new organizations, enterprises, and innovators take on the role of 
software developer to add ``smart'' features or connectivity to their 
products. Although the majority of libraries and components do not have 
known vulnerabilities, the sheer quantity of software means that some 
software products ship with vulnerable or out-of-date components.
    Under the multistakeholder process, NTIA acts as the convener, but 
stakeholders drive the outcomes, determine how to scope and organize 
the work through subgroups or other means, and evaluate success of the 
process based on the extent to which the group's findings on software 
component transparency are implemented across the ecosystem. The first 
meeting of this multistakeholder process was held on July 19, 2018, in 
Washington, DC.\1\ Stakeholders presented multiple perspectives, and 
identified four inter-related work streams: Understanding the Problem, 
Use Cases and State of Practice, Standards and Formats, and Healthcare 
Proof of Concept.
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    \1\ Notes, presentations, and a video recording of the July 19, 
2018, kickoff meeting are available at: https://www.ntia.doc.gov/SoftwareTransparency.
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    The main objectives of the November 6, 2018, meeting are to share 
progress from the working groups and hear feedback from the broader 
stakeholder community. Stakeholders will also discuss how the outputs 
of the different work streams can complement each other, and identify 
issues for further study. More information about stakeholders' work is 
available at: https://www.ntia.doc.gov/SoftwareTransparency.
    Time and Date: NTIA will convene the next meeting of the 
multistakeholder process on software component transparency on November 
6, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Please refer to 
NTIA's website, https://www.ntia.doc.gov/SoftwareTransparency, for the 
most current information.
    Place: The meeting will be held at the American Institute of 
Architects, 1735 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006. The location 
of the meeting is subject to change. Please refer to NTIA's website, 
https://www.ntia.doc.gov/SoftwareTransparency, for the most current 
information.
    Other Information: The meeting is open to the public and the press 
on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited.
    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Allan Friedman at (202) 482-4281 or 
[email protected] at least seven (7) business days prior to each 
meeting. The meetings will also be webcast. Requests for real-time 
captioning of the webcast or other auxiliary aids should be directed to 
Allan Friedman at (202) 482-4281 or [email protected] at least 
seven (7) business days prior to each meeting. There will be an 
opportunity for stakeholders viewing the webcast to participate 
remotely in the meetings through a moderated conference bridge, 
including polling functionality. Access details for the meetings are 
subject to change. Please refer to NTIA's website, https://www.ntia.doc.gov/SoftwareTransparency, for the most current 
information.

    Dated: October 16, 2018.
Kathy Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-22872 Filed 10-19-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-60-P