81 FR 80676 - The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 221 (November 16, 2016)

The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) will meet on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, in Washington, DC The meeting will be partially closed to the public.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80676-80677]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27572]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. DHS-2016-0065]


The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory 
Committee

AGENCY: Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Committee Management; Notice of partially Closed Federal 
Advisory Committee Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory 
Committee (NSTAC) will meet on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, in 
Washington, DC The meeting will be partially closed to the public.

DATES: The NSTAC will meet on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, from 9:00 
a.m. to 3:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Please note that the 
meeting may close early if the committee has completed its business.

ADDRESSES: The December 2016 NSTAC Meeting's open session will be held 
at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, DC. Due to 
limited seating, requests to attend in person will be on a first-come 
basis and the public portion of the meeting will be streamed via 
webcast at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live, as an alternative option. 
Individuals who intend to participate in the meeting will need to 
register by sending an email to [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. EST on 
Wednesday, November 30, 2016. For information on facilities or services 
for individuals with disabilities, or to request special assistance at 
the meeting, please contact [email protected] as soon as possible.
    Members of the public are invited to provide comment on the issues 
to be considered by the committee as listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section below. Associated briefing materials to be 
discussed at the meeting will be available at www.dhs.gov/nstac for 
review on Monday, November 21, 2016. Comments may be submitted at any 
time and must be identified by docket number DHS-2016-0065.
    Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Please follow the instructions for submitting written comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include the docket number DHS-
2016-0065 in the subject line of the email message.
     Fax: (703) 235-5962, ATTN: Sandy Benevides.
     Mail: Designated Federal Officer, Stakeholder Engagement 
and Critical Infrastructure Resilience Division, National Protection 
and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray 
Lane, Mail Stop 0604, Arlington, VA 20598-0604.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket number for this 
action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket and comments received by the 
NSTAC, please go to www.regulations.gov and enter docket number DHS-
2016-0065.
    A public comment period will be held during the meeting from 2:50 
p.m. to 3:20 p.m. Speakers who wish to participate in the public 
comment period must register in advance and can do so by emailing 
[email protected] no later than Friday, December 2, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. 
EST. Speakers are requested to limit their comments to three minutes. 
Please note that the public comment period may end before the time 
indicated, following the last call for comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen Jackson, NSTAC Designated 
Federal Officer, Department of Homeland Security, (703) 235-5321 
(telephone) or [email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of this meeting is given under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. appendix (Pub. L. 92-463). The 
NSTAC advises the President on matters related to national security and 
emergency preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications policy.
    Agenda: The committee will meet in an open session on December 7, 
2016, to receive remarks from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
leadership and other senior Government officials regarding the 
Government's current cybersecurity initiatives and NS/EP priorities. 
Meeting participants will: (1) Receive a keynote address regarding the 
Government's ongoing cybersecurity and NS/EP communications efforts; 
(2)

[[Page 80677]]

engage in a panel discussion with senior Government officials regarding 
the effects of new technology on NS/EP processes and procedures; and 
(3) discuss the progress related to the draft National Cyber Incident 
Response Plan. Additionally, DHS will provide NSTAC members an update 
on the Government's progress in implementing recent NSTAC 
recommendations. Finally, the NSTAC members will receive an update on 
the NSTAC Emerging Technologies Strategic Vision Subcommittee's study 
of the near- and long-term NS/EP implications of emergent and expected 
information and communications technologies.
    The committee will also meet in a closed session to receive a 
classified briefing regarding cybersecurity threats and discuss future 
studies based on the Government's NS/EP priorities and perceived 
vulnerabilities.
    Basis for Closure: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552b(c), The 
Government in the Sunshine Act, it has been determined that two agenda 
items require closure, as the disclosure of the information discussed 
would not be in the public interest.
    The first of these agenda items, the classified briefing, will 
provide members with a cybersecurity threat briefing on threats to 
critical infrastructure. Disclosure of these threats would provide 
criminals who seek to compromise commercial and Government networks 
with information on potential vulnerabilities and mitigation 
techniques, weakening the Nation's cybersecurity posture. This briefing 
will be classified at the top secret/sensitive compartmented 
information level, thereby exempting disclosure of the content by 
statute. Therefore, this portion of the meeting is required to be 
closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1)(A) & (B).
    The second agenda item, the discussion of potential NSTAC study 
topics, will address areas of critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities 
and priorities for Government. Government officials will share data 
with NSTAC members on initiatives, assessments, and future security 
requirements across public and private sector networks. The information 
will include specific vulnerabilities within cyberspace that affect the 
United States' ICT infrastructures and proposed mitigation strategies. 
Disclosure of this information to the public would provide criminals 
with an incentive to focus on these vulnerabilities to increase attacks 
on the Nation's critical infrastructure and communications networks. As 
disclosure of this portion of the meeting is likely to significantly 
frustrate implementation of proposed DHS actions, it is required to be 
closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(B).

    Dated: November 9, 2016.
Helen Jackson,
Designated Federal Officer for the NSTAC.
[FR Doc. 2016-27572 Filed 11-15-16; 8:45 am]
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