Dems call for independent review of FCC cyberattack

Julie Spitzer -

Two Democratic lawmakers are calling for an independent investigation into the Federal Communications Commission's response to a May cyberattack.

On May 8, the FCC said it fell victim to "multiple distributed denial-of-service attacks," which targeted the agency's electronic comment filing system, a portal that collects public comments on ongoing proceedings. The attack seemingly targeted a controversial proceeding related to unding current net neutrality protections.

In an Aug. 17 letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., request the Government Accountability Office review the incident further.

"While the FCC and the FBI have responded to Congressional inquiries into these DDos attacks, they have not released any records or documentation that would allow for confirmation that an attack occurred, that it was effectively dealt with and that the FCC has begun to institute measures to thwart future attacks and ensure the security of its systems," the letter reads.

The lawmakers are asking the GAO review the FCC's cybersecurity practices and infrastructure, as well as its documentation of the May 8 cyberattack.

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