The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are collaborating with the tech industry to investigate the cause of Thursday’s AT&T outage.
John Kirby, the White House’s national security communications adviser, informed reporters that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been in contact with AT&T, the only telecommunication network that hasn’t been fully restored yet.
Kirby emphasized that while AT&T has stated there is no indication of a cybersecurity breach, a comprehensive investigation is needed to determine the root cause of the outage. He urged caution in drawing conclusions until the investigation is completed, acknowledging that the situation is still unfolding.
Regarding the impact of the outage on government operations, Kirby mentioned that there were some disruptions to Commerce Department operations but downplayed the severity of the situation, stating, “I don’t think it was crippling.”
This suggests that while there were challenges, the government was able to manage the situation without significant disruptions.
The collaboration between government agencies, the tech industry, and telecommunications companies underscores the importance of addressing and resolving issues that impact critical infrastructure swiftly and effectively.
By pooling resources and expertise, stakeholders can work together to mitigate risks, safeguard networks, and ensure the resilience of essential services.