T-Mobile founds C2 ISAC

Eight leading U.S. communications companies said on May 19 they had formed a nonprofit group called the Communications Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or C2 ISAC, to share cyber threat intelligence and coordinate defenses across the telecom sector. The founding members are AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Lumen Technologies, T-Mobile, Verizon and Zayo, according to statements published by T-Mobile and AT&T. The companies said the group is meant to provide a trusted setting for technical experts to exchange real-time information and defense strategies as threats to communications networks grow more complex. C2 ISAC expects to begin operations in June, and Valerie Moon, a former official at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI, will serve as executive director. ### Why did the carriers create a new telecom cyber group now? The companies said on May 19 that cyber threats have become more sophisticated, more complex and faster-moving, including with the spread of artificial intelligence, and that the sector needed faster and more actionable information sharing. T-Mobile said no single company has full visibility into every threat or can address every risk alone, which is why the founding members created the new nonprofit. (t-mobile.com) Mark Clancy, T-Mobile’s chief security officer and a C2 ISAC board member, told Cybersecurity Dive that the threat environment had evolved and that telecom companies needed to keep up with its pace and velocity. Clancy said the need for private-to-private collaboration was amplified by the sector’s response to China’s Salt Typhoon espionage operation, which exposed the risks facing U.S. telecom networks. (t-mobile.com) ### How is C2 ISAC different from the older communications ISAC? C2 ISAC builds on the sector’s existing relationship with the National Coordinating Center for Communications, also known as the Communications ISAC or COMM-ISAC, which was established in 1984 to promote resilience and information sharing among government agencies and private communications and IT companies. The new group is separate from that structure and is organized as a private nonprofit, according to the company statements. (cybersecuritydive.com) Cybersecurity Dive reported that the existing Communications ISAC sits within the federal government at CISA, unlike most ISACs, and that this setup had discouraged some companies from sharing sensitive information. Clancy told the publication that government participation created more review and deliberation over what could be shared, while a private channel could allow earlier and less filtered exchanges. (t-mobile.com) ### Who is running it and how will it be governed? Valerie Moon will serve as executive director, and the eight founding companies’ chief information security officers will make up the initial board of directors, the companies said. T-Mobile and AT&T said Moon has held leadership roles at CISA, the FBI and other cyber organizations, and will oversee day-to-day operations. (cybersecuritydive.com) Rich Baich, the inaugural chairperson of the C2 ISAC board, said in the company statements that cyber threats were “more sophisticated and persistent than ever” and that Moon’s appointment positioned the group to expand trusted collaboration across the communications sector. Moon said the organization would strengthen member companies and support the resilience of the nation’s critical communications infrastructure. (t-mobile.com) ### What will members actually share through the new hub? Cybersecurity Dive said the new organization will provide a private venue for telecom companies to exchange sensitive information including newly discovered vulnerabilities and details about threat actor behavior. T-Mobile and AT&T said the nonprofit is intended to help members anticipate, identify and respond to cyber threats more quickly by pooling resources, expertise and real-time intelligence. (t-mobile.com) The eight founding members include wireless carriers, cable operators and network infrastructure providers, which gives the group a wider view across communications systems. The companies said that broader participation is intended to strengthen member organizations and improve the resilience of critical communications infrastructure. (t-mobile.com) ### What happens next? C2 ISAC said it expects to begin operations in June. The initial board will be made up of the founding companies’ chief information security officers, with Moon overseeing daily operations as the group starts building its private information-sharing channels. (t-mobile.com)