New Network Resilience Coalition Launches to Address Threats to Outdated Network Infrastructure on a Global Scale

A group of leading networking, cybersecurity, and service providers announced the launch of the Network Resilience Coalition, an alliance focused on bringing together technology providers, security experts, and network operators seeking to propose real-world solutions that dramatically improve the security of data and networks that support global economic and national security.

Software and hardware vendors spend tremendous amounts of time and effort to ensure that all products and services are as secure as possible. Unfortunately, it is common for organizations to lack robust patching and vulnerability management programs or to not install critical updates in a timely manner, despite their availability. Technology companies must find ways to address the continued problem of software and hardware updates and patches not being implemented, while also encouraging organizations to have better visibility into their networks to better mitigate cyber risks.

Not only does failing to upgrade or update hardware and software systems put the individual organization at risk, it can lead to cyberattacks on a global scale, targeting aging network infrastructure, as evidenced by recent advisories from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and the U.S.’s  Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as well as reports of state-sponsored activity.

The Network Resilience Coalition was formed to help address these issues in an open and collaborative way and to help improve network hardware and software resilience on a global scale. By bringing together infrastructure vendors and major network operators who are experienced in deploying patches in a timely manner, the coalition aims to address network hardware and software resilience challenges and inform good policy.

Founding members of the new coalition include AT&T Inc., Broadcom, BT Group, Cisco Systems Inc., Fortinet, Intel Corp., Juniper Networks, Lumen Technologies Inc., Palo Alto Networks, Verizon, and VMware.  Coalition members will work together on a report that investigates the crux of these issues and produce recommendations for improving network security for technology providers, technology users, and those creating or regulating security policy.

‍About the Center for Cybersecurity Policy & Law:

The Center for Cybersecurity Policy & Law is an independent organization dedicated to enhancing cybersecurity worldwide by providing government, private industry, and civil society with practices and policies to better manage security threats. Established in 2017 as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit, the Center combines policy expertise with convening power to bring industry leaders together with policymakers, form coalitions, and launch initiatives that produce real-world outcomes.