ISP Intel Insider | Edition 10

With Christmas just two weeks away and the new year right around the corner, we’re diving into an important update this week. We’ll continue our discussion on the Chinese cyber-espionage campaign, now known as Salt Typhoon, and explore a key prediction for 2025. Plus, we’ll take a moment to enjoy some nostalgic fun. Let’s jump in!

Addressing Vulnerabilities in Telecom Networks

In last week’s newsletter, we discussed two CNN articles highlighting a persistent Chinese cyber-espionage campaign targeting critical telecommunications infrastructure. This campaign has now been identified as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack.

Linked to foreign state-sponsored actors, this attack targeted our telecommunications networks, prompting the FCC to take action. Telecommunications networks are a cornerstone of the nation’s critical infrastructure, and the FCC is exploring measures to address vulnerabilities, bolster cybersecurity defenses, and enhance resilience against future threats.

Although the FCC's proposed measures haven’t yet been adopted, the question remains: is your network ready for the challenges ahead? We’ve emphasized it time and again—ISPs need a robust, comprehensive cybersecurity solution. If you’re ready to fortify your network, let’s discuss how we can help.

Resources:

FCC Press Release: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-408013A1.pdf

FCC Fact Sheet: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-408015A1.pdf

2025 Prediction: Cybersecurity Takes Center Stage for ISPs

We asked our Executive team to share their predictions for 2025, and it was striking that one topic appeared on every list—cybersecurity. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, ISPs face growing challenges. Limited resources and expertise can leave networks vulnerable, with a single breach leading to service outages, data loss, and damage to reputation. So, what’s the solution?

• Advanced defenses and proactive strategies
• Dedicated security teams or expert partnerships
• CHR: your partner in safeguarding networks and protecting customers

Again, are you ready for the cybersecurity challenges of 2025? Visit this blog to learn what ISPs can do to prevent cyberattacks and enhance network resilience.

Telecom Throwback: A Trip Down Memory Lane

The holiday season is perfect for reflecting on the past, so we asked a few of our co-workers to share their favorite moments and memories from the early days of telecom work. The stories they shared brought back some great memories and a few laughs. Here are just a few highlights:

• Looking up assignments on paper maps that were stained with coffee, filled with smudged handwriting, and often blown out of the truck window.
• The uncanny timing of emergency maintenance windows that never failed to surprise.
• Presenting with overhead projectors, switching sheets mid-presentation like pros.
• Loading software onto floppy disks, burning CDs, and painstakingly applying logo labels to packaging.
• The era when checking email was a rarity—maybe once or twice a day.
• Dialing into client networks using a 1200 baud modem.
• Accessing a client's onsite server through a dedicated circuit connected to a terminal behind the mainframe, where logging in meant physically going to the back of the room.

Do any of these sit in your memory bank? Stay tuned for more nostalgic fun next week!