Kinzinger introduces bill requiring cybersecurity report on U.S. wireless networks

Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) would require that a comprehensive report be submitted to Congress that examines the cybersecurity of existing wireless networks, their vulnerabilities to cyberattacks, and if they are being surveilled by adversaries.

“The technological evolutions that the United States has achieved are remarkable, and we know how complicated it has been to keep our spectrum airwaves organized so that our phones and other devices can function,” Rep. Kinzinger said on April 28. “But as speeds and services continue to advance, concerns over network security rise significantly.”

The Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act, H.R. 2685, which Rep. Kinzinger cosponsored on April 20 with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), would require the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration to submit the report to Congress.

“The threats and risks to our carriers, to our constituents, and to our national security must be identified and mitigated,” said Rep. Kinzinger. “This is why my colleague Rep. Eshoo and I have introduced the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act, to make sure we know the vulnerabilities of our mobile service networks and devices, and to help us prevent dangerous cyberattacks from adversaries.”

Rep. Eshoo noted that while 5G wireless networks are “inherently more secure than older networks,” most of the calls, texts and data made and used by Americans traverse on 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. “We lack a full picture of the vulnerabilities across those networks that Americans use every single day,” she said. 

H.R. 2685 has been referred to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration.