NTIA Seeks Comment on Mitigating Botnet Threats

Update: NTIA has extended the comment period to July 28. 

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a Request for Comment (RFC) on promoting stakeholder action against botnets and other automated threats.  NTIA initiated this review pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order on cybersecurity (summarized here), which directs the Secretaries of Commerce and Homeland Security to jointly identify and promote stakeholder action to mitigate threats perpetrated by automated and distributed attacks.  The Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security will use comments in response to the RFC to inform their preliminary report due January 2018 and final report due May 2018.    

The RFC seeks input on current, emerging, and potential approaches for enhancing protections against botnets and other automated, distributed threats.  More specifically, NTIA requests comment on what works well today; potential gaps to existing methods; what laws, policies, standards, practices, technologies, or other investments are needed to enhance protections; and what roles stakeholders and federal government should have in this space.  The NTIA has extended the comment period to July 28. 

In conjunction with the RFC, NIST will hold a workshop July 11-12, 2017 in Rockville Maryland to discuss current and emerging solutions to botnet threats.  Additional information, including a draft agenda and registration details, is available here.