Warner and Cruz Propose Voluntary Telecom Cyber Rules Following Massive Salt Typhoon Breaches

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Ted Cruz introduced the Telecommunications Cybersecurity and Resilience Act to establish an optional certification process for network security. The legislation responds to the Salt Typhoon campaign, where Chinese government-backed hackers compromised at least nine telecom giants, including Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen. Hackers maintained years-long access to Call Detail Records, targeting communications data and audio for 150 high-profile individuals, including Donald Trump and JD Vance. The new voluntary framework replaces prior mandatory network regulations that were scrapped by Republican officials last year. The bill establishes a working group within the NTIA to develop best practices, which will be reviewed every two years and updated after major cyber incidents. “Foreign adversaries are increasingly targeting America’s communications networks. Securing them requires an approach that keeps pace with evolving threats.” — Ted Cruz